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Archaeological Earthen Mound Complex in Patos Lagoon, Southern Brazil: Chronological Model and Freshwater Influence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 March 2017

Rafael G Milheira
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Instituto de Ciências Humanas, Rua Cel. Alberto Rosa 154, 96010-770 - Pelotas, RS, Brazil
Kita D Macario*
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal Fluminense, Instituto de Física. Av. Gal. Milton Tavares de Souza s/n, 24210-346 - Niterói, RJ, Brazil
Ingrid S Chanca
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal Fluminense, Instituto de Física. Av. Gal. Milton Tavares de Souza s/n, 24210-346 - Niterói, RJ, Brazil
Eduardo Q Alves
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal Fluminense, Instituto de Física. Av. Gal. Milton Tavares de Souza s/n, 24210-346 - Niterói, RJ, Brazil Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, United Kingdom
*
*Corresponding author. Email: kitamacario@gmail.com.

Abstract

In the present work, we assess the chronology of archaeological sites known as earthen mounds, commonly found at the Pampas biome, among the lowlands of Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. We focused on the Pontal da Barra settlement, which is a testimony of the long-term occupation of indigenous groups in the swamp and wet environment of Patos Lagoon, southern Brazil. A Bayesian chronological model based on the radiocarbon (14C) dating of 17 samples of fish otolith, 5 charcoal fragments, and 2 bones (human and dog) allowed determination of the beginning of the occupation as well as the occupational synchronism of the different mounds. The nature of the samples allows us to study the local 14C reservoir effect through the comparison between the group of marine and terrestrial samples, deriving a reservoir offset value of 63±53 14C yr for this particular area, indicating a strong freshwater influence in the lagoon system. We estimate the start of human intervention in the landscapes of southern Patos Lagoon to be around 2200 cal BP, with the most intense activity between 1800 and 1200 cal BP.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2017 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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