Papers by Anne Rapp Py-Daniel
Estudos Avançados, 2024
This paper offers a critical discussion on some definitions of the Anthropocene. From approaches ... more This paper offers a critical discussion on some definitions of the Anthropocene. From approaches in archeology, ethnology, ecology and indigenous debate, Amazonia is the center of reflection on different moments of the history of human interaction with the region. When we recognize the marks of an accelerated and irresponsible exploration, we need to particularize the marks of humanity. We discuss millennial marks, also permanent, of human actions that transformed Amazonia. Meanwhile, these marks are produced by people who understood complex relations that promoted and created conditions to expand the diversity. Such wisdom, which continues in the present, insists on affirming that it cannot be made only by human. Therefore, the question that emerges is: which humans and which Anthropocenes are we dealing with?
Amazonia em simbiose: marcas de humanidades que enfrentam o Antropoceno, 2024
digitAR, 2023
Mais que contar uma história sobre o passado, o estudo da arqueologia amazônica vem nos mostrando... more Mais que contar uma história sobre o passado, o estudo da arqueologia amazônica vem nos mostrando, ao longo das últimas décadas, estratégias bem-sucedidas de "convivência pacífica" entre os povos da floresta e o meio ambiente. Frequentemente as sociedades tradicionais nos alertam que a lógica atual de uso dos recursos da Amazônia é insustentável. Longe de pretender que a arqueologia trará uma chancela científica para algo que já está posto por esses povos, ou de reificar a visão romântica do "bom selvagem", podemos dizer que o quê a pesquisa vem demonstrando é a validade dessas estratégias na longa duração, numa escala de pelo menos 12 mil anos. As primeiras sínteses arqueológicas na metade do século XX apresentaram a Amazônia como um local limitante, onde as sociedades humanas não teriam alcançado um estágio completo de desenvolvimento, em função da escassez e da hostilidade do ambiente. Com um melhor entendimento e acúmulo de dados sobre sítios e vestígios arqueológicos na Amazônia, hoje se tem uma compreensão muito diferente sobre a relação de longa duração entre os humanos e o ambiente. Estas escolhas, feitas há milhares de anos, vêm promovendo resiliência da floresta mesmo diante do desequilíbrio catastrófico iniciado pelo colonialismo e potencializado nos últimos anos pela exploração de recursos de maneira desenfreada dentro de uma economia global. Entretanto, a continuidade da resiliência depende de como absorvemos o eco da voz dos que transformaram a Amazônia na floresta diversa que conhecemos hoje. O texto advoga pela defesa do conhecimento dos povos tradicionais como uma das melhores alternativas de futuro para a Amazônia, um conhecimento milenar e cumulativo, em nada inferior ao que consideramos científico.
A partir de um estudo em andamento na região do Rio Ituqui e o Paranã do Maicá, município de Sant... more A partir de um estudo em andamento na região do Rio Ituqui e o Paranã do Maicá, município de Santarém/PA, queremos refletir sobre as distintas evidências de ocupações encontradas, remetendo a 8000 anos de ocupação. Ademais, vemos as ocupações quilombolas atuais como peças chaves para repensar alguns conceitos pré-estabelecidos: comunidade versus território; referências históricas; a dinâmica da várzea, etc. Propõe-se que a cronologia tradicionalmente empregada para a arqueologia Amazônica seja revista, para incluir as histórias dos quilombos. Foram utilizados tanto dados arqueológicos quanto referências históricas e levantamentos orais para aquisição dos dados.
When we think about everyday scenes such as food preparation, house construction, hunting and fis... more When we think about everyday scenes such as food preparation, house construction, hunting and fishing, the preparation of funerary contexts, there are numerous materials that do not preserve in the archaeological record. Examples of these include fibers, textiles, fats, lard, leather, insects, and resins. These elements are on the “scene” but they are often forgotten when they are not found. Research that seeks to deal with the reconstruction of spaces, materials, and gestures in the present can help us think in a more holistic way about technologies, materials and their remains. By taking a closer look at the gestures and technologies surrounding adornments, basketry, meat preparation, bone artefacts, and others, we aim to explore the potential of studies about perishable objects in Brazilian archaeological contexts. Since perishable technologies were used, we, as archaeologists, aim to reflect, upon our collection methods and the analysis and interpretation of these records that c...
irst described over 120 years ago in Brazil, Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are expanses of dark so... more irst described over 120 years ago in Brazil, Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are expanses of dark soil that are exceptionally fertile and contain large quantities of archaeological artefacts. The elevated fertility of the dark and often deep A horizon of ADEs is widely regarded as an outcome of pre-Columbian human influence 1. Archaeological research provides clear evidence that their widespread formation in lowland South America was concentrated in the Late Holocene, an outcome of sharp human population growth that peaked towards 1000 BP 2-4. In their recent paper Silva et al. 5 argue that the higher fertility of ADEs is principally a result of fluvial deposition and, as a corollary, that pre-Columbian peoples just made use of these locales, contributing little to their enhanced nutrient status. Soil formation is inherently complex and often difficult to interpret, requiring a combination of geochemical data, stratigraphy, and dating. Although Silva et al. use this combination of methods to make their case 5 , their hypothesis, based on the analysis of a single ADE site and its immediate surroundings (Caldeirão, see maps in Silva et al. 5), is too limited to distinguish among the multiple possible mechanisms for ADE formation. Moreover, it disregards or misreads a wealth of evidence produced by archaeologists, soil scientists, geographers and anthropologists, showing that ADEs are anthropic soils formed on land surfaces enriched by inputs associated with pre-Columbian sedentary settlement 6-9. To be accepted, and be pertinent at a regional level, Silva et al.'s hypothesis 5 would need to be supported by solid evidence (from numerous ADE sites), which we demonstrate is lacking. Geomorphological and pedological considerations There are several problems with reviving the argument 10 that ADE fertility originates from deposited alluvium. First, the Caldeirão ADE site is located on a Miocene plateau~20 m above the Solimões River floodplain (~40 m asl), which in itself precludes significant flooding during the Holocene 11. Second,
Revista de Arqueologia, 2020
Os acervos arqueológicos constituem relevante patrimônio e fonte de estudo, imprescindíveis para ... more Os acervos arqueológicos constituem relevante patrimônio e fonte de estudo, imprescindíveis para compreensão do legado histórico e cultural promovido pelas sociedades pretéritas e presentes. A gestão desses acervos extrapola a curadoria, implicando compromissos éticos, políticos, educacionais e científicos junto às diferentes comunidades. Nesse cenário, o Laboratório de Arqueologia Curt Nimuendajú da UFOPA (Santarém, PA) possui conformação especial devido à sua localização e por ser acessado por diferentes pessoas, incluindo povos indígenas e tradicionais. O laboratório atua como um lugar de conexão geracional e de pluralidade de saberes. Com base nessas peculiaridades, apresentamos o seu histórico de criação e constituição de suas coleções, além dos desafios inerentes ao seu processo de gestão.
In this article we present two studies on mounds and burials found in the Hatahara Site, Central ... more In this article we present two studies on mounds and burials found in the Hatahara Site, Central Amazon, Amazonas State, Brazil. Our main goal was to try to understand mound formation and the different types of graves in them. Most of the burials and mounds known in the research area belong to the Paredao Phase (VII to Xllth Century A.D.). By analyzing the ceramic material from mound II, it was noticed that they were chosen by their size and not by decorations because they were used as construction material (Machado 2005 had already attested that in mound I). The presence of different kinds of burials belonging to the same phase, before and after the mounds construction, indicates long occupations with varied rituals (Rapp Py-Daniel 2007). Crossing data from the ceramic analysis, dates, and burial analysis, we have noticed how much variability can exist inside one archaeological phase
Quaternary, 2021
Recent advances in the archaeology of lowland South America are furthering our understanding of t... more Recent advances in the archaeology of lowland South America are furthering our understanding of the Holocene development of plant cultivation and domestication, cultural niche construction, and relationships between environmental changes and cultural strategies of food production. This article offers new data on plant and landscape management and mobility in Southwestern Amazonia during a period of environmental change at the Middle to Late Holocene transition, based on archaeobotanical analysis of the Monte Castelo shellmound, occupied between 6000 and 650 yr BP and located in a modern, seasonally flooded savanna–forest mosaic. Through diachronic comparisons of carbonized plant remains, phytoliths, and starch grains, we construct an ecology of resource use and explore its implications for the long-term history of landscape formation, resource management practices, and mobility. We show how, despite important changes visible in the archaeological record of the shellmound during this...
Habitus, 2016
Resumo: Rurópolis é um município do Pará que abriga numerosas cavernas em arenito com pinturas e ... more Resumo: Rurópolis é um município do Pará que abriga numerosas cavernas em arenito com pinturas e gravuras pré-históricas situadas em zonas afóticas e na penumbra. O estudo da Caverna do 110 revelou ausência de vestígios materiais nas escavações e pinturas e gravuras rupestres com características muito diversas. O estudo dessa caverna suscitou uma série de questões sobre possíveis práticas rituais no local. Palavras-chave: Arte rupestre. Práticas rituais. Arqueologia amazônica.
Amazônica - Revista de Antropologia, 2012
A região do Lago Amanã, próximo à confluência dos rios Japurá e Solimões é ainda pouco conhecida ... more A região do Lago Amanã, próximo à confluência dos rios Japurá e Solimões é ainda pouco conhecida arqueologicamente. Desde 2006, no entanto, levantamentos e escavações vêm sendo ali realizados com o apoio do Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá (IDSM). Nesse artigo serão apresentados alguns dados, ainda incipientes, sobre os contextos funerários da região e os potenciais do material encontrado. Os resultados obtidos a partir do estudo de algumas urnas funerárias dos sítios Bom Jesus do Baré e São Miguel do Cacau indicam práticas funerárias particulares à região. A presença de material de acompanhamento dentro dos vasos, a possibilidade de enterramentos primários, a proximidades das urnas nos sítios a forma e as características dos vasos, levam a pensar num alto grau de uniformidade durante a fase Caiambé, relacionada à Tradição Borda Incisa ou série Barrancóide. Palavras-Chave: Urnas funerárias, Lago Amanã, tafonomia.
Amazônica - Revista de Antropologia, 2014
Este artigo descreve o levantamento de sítios arqueológicos em territórios tradicionalmente ocupa... more Este artigo descreve o levantamento de sítios arqueológicos em territórios tradicionalmente ocupados na Amazônia. O que é imprescindível para o nosso acesso aos locais é o conhecimento territorial dos ocupantes. Ao relatar o processo de desenvolvimento de pesquisas arqueológicas nas margens de três dos principais rios da Amazônia (Tapajós, Madeira e Solimões), pretendemos explorar as variadas relações existentes entre as comunidades tradicionais e os recursos arqueológicos existentes em seus territórios, desafiando conceitos estanques do significado de patrimônio. Propomos que arqueólogos busquem ser parceiros das comunidades tradicionais, as quais têm contribuições inestimáveis para a geração do conhecimento. Palavras-chave: Arqueologia na Amazônia, prospecção arqueológica, comunidades tradicionais, rios Tapajós, Madeira e Solimões, Lago Tefé.
13th International Congress of the Brazilian Geophysical Society & EXPOGEF, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 26–29 August 2013, 2013
ABSTRACT This paper describes the research conducted in the area of the archaeological site known... more ABSTRACT This paper describes the research conducted in the area of the archaeological site known as Site of Porto (PA 00788), located in the Tapajós Campus expansion of the Federal University of Western Pará (UFOPA), in the municipality of Santarém, state of Pará. The research involved the application of GPR and archaeological excavations, which allowed recovery of artifacts related to the Santarém culture, like features of trash deposition, areas of activity related to the production of lithic artifacts and funerary patterns of secondary burial in the housing space.
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2014
Ancient anthrosols known as Amazonian dark earths or terra preta are part of the human built land... more Ancient anthrosols known as Amazonian dark earths or terra preta are part of the human built landscape and often represent valuable landscape capital for modern Amazonian populations in the form of fertile agricultural soils. The fertility, resilience, and large stocks of carbon in terra preta have inspired research on their possible role in soil fertility management and also serve as an example for a growing biochar industry it is claimed will sequester carbon for climate change mitigation. Although there is considerable scientific and public interest in terra preta, there is still much debate and little concrete knowledge of the specific processes and contexts of its formation. Research indicates that the formation of terra preta occurred mainly in midden deposits, themselves patterned around habitation areas, public areas, and routes of movement. Data from topographic mapping, soil analyses, and excavations in three regions of Amazonia demonstrate a widespread pattern of anthrosol formation in ring-shaped mounds surrounding flat terraces that extend across large areas of prehistoric settlements. It is hypothesized that there is a widespread type or types of occupation where the terraces were domestic areas (houses or yards) surrounded by refuse disposal areas in middens which built up into mounds over time, forming large deposits of terra preta and creating what could be called a 'middenscape'. Initial results support the hypotheses, showing the interrelationship of residential and public areas, anthrosols, routes of movement, and natural resources. The patterning of anthrosols in ancient settlements indicates the use of space and can therefore serve as a basis for comparison of community spatial organization between sites and regions.
Nature Communications, 2022
Archaeological research provides clear evidence that their widespread formation in lowland South ... more Archaeological research provides clear evidence that their widespread formation in lowland South America was concentrated in the Late Holocene, an outcome of
sharp human population growth that peaked towards 1000 BP. In their recent paper Silva et al. argue that the higher fertility of ADEs is principally a result of fluvial deposition and, as a corollary, that pre-Columbian peoples just made use of these locales, contributing little to their enhanced nutrient status. Soil formation is inherently complex and often difficult to interpret, requiring a combination of geochemical data, stratigraphy, and dating. Although Silva et al. use this combination of methods to make their case, their hypothesis, based on the analysis of a single ADE site and its immediate surroundings (Caldeirão, see maps in Silva et al.), is too limited to distinguish among the multiple possible mechanisms for ADE formation. Moreover, it disregards or misreads a wealth of evidence produced by archaeologists, soil scientists, geographers and anthropologists, showing that ADEs are anthropic soils formed on land surfaces enriched by inputs associated with pre-Columbian sedentary settlement. To be accepted, and be pertinent at a regional level, Silva et al.’s hypothesis would need to be supported by solid evidence (from numerous ADE sites), which we demonstrate is lacking.
Nature Communications, 2022
irst described over 120 years ago in Brazil, Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are expanses of dark so... more irst described over 120 years ago in Brazil, Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are expanses of dark soil that are exceptionally fertile and contain large quantities of archaeological artefacts. The elevated fertility of the dark and often deep A horizon of ADEs is widely regarded as an outcome of pre-Columbian human influence 1. Archaeological research provides clear evidence that their widespread formation in lowland South America was concentrated in the Late Holocene, an outcome of sharp human population growth that peaked towards 1000 BP 2-4. In their recent paper Silva et al. 5 argue that the higher fertility of ADEs is principally a result of fluvial deposition and, as a corollary, that pre-Columbian peoples just made use of these locales, contributing little to their enhanced nutrient status. Soil formation is inherently complex and often difficult to interpret, requiring a combination of geochemical data, stratigraphy, and dating. Although Silva et al. use this combination of methods to make their case 5 , their hypothesis, based on the analysis of a single ADE site and its immediate surroundings (Caldeirão, see maps in Silva et al. 5), is too limited to distinguish among the multiple possible mechanisms for ADE formation. Moreover, it disregards or misreads a wealth of evidence produced by archaeologists, soil scientists, geographers and anthropologists, showing that ADEs are anthropic soils formed on land surfaces enriched by inputs associated with pre-Columbian sedentary settlement 6-9. To be accepted, and be pertinent at a regional level, Silva et al.'s hypothesis 5 would need to be supported by solid evidence (from numerous ADE sites), which we demonstrate is lacking. Geomorphological and pedological considerations There are several problems with reviving the argument 10 that ADE fertility originates from deposited alluvium. First, the Caldeirão ADE site is located on a Miocene plateau~20 m above the Solimões River floodplain (~40 m asl), which in itself precludes significant flooding during the Holocene 11. Second,
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Papers by Anne Rapp Py-Daniel
sharp human population growth that peaked towards 1000 BP. In their recent paper Silva et al. argue that the higher fertility of ADEs is principally a result of fluvial deposition and, as a corollary, that pre-Columbian peoples just made use of these locales, contributing little to their enhanced nutrient status. Soil formation is inherently complex and often difficult to interpret, requiring a combination of geochemical data, stratigraphy, and dating. Although Silva et al. use this combination of methods to make their case, their hypothesis, based on the analysis of a single ADE site and its immediate surroundings (Caldeirão, see maps in Silva et al.), is too limited to distinguish among the multiple possible mechanisms for ADE formation. Moreover, it disregards or misreads a wealth of evidence produced by archaeologists, soil scientists, geographers and anthropologists, showing that ADEs are anthropic soils formed on land surfaces enriched by inputs associated with pre-Columbian sedentary settlement. To be accepted, and be pertinent at a regional level, Silva et al.’s hypothesis would need to be supported by solid evidence (from numerous ADE sites), which we demonstrate is lacking.
sharp human population growth that peaked towards 1000 BP. In their recent paper Silva et al. argue that the higher fertility of ADEs is principally a result of fluvial deposition and, as a corollary, that pre-Columbian peoples just made use of these locales, contributing little to their enhanced nutrient status. Soil formation is inherently complex and often difficult to interpret, requiring a combination of geochemical data, stratigraphy, and dating. Although Silva et al. use this combination of methods to make their case, their hypothesis, based on the analysis of a single ADE site and its immediate surroundings (Caldeirão, see maps in Silva et al.), is too limited to distinguish among the multiple possible mechanisms for ADE formation. Moreover, it disregards or misreads a wealth of evidence produced by archaeologists, soil scientists, geographers and anthropologists, showing that ADEs are anthropic soils formed on land surfaces enriched by inputs associated with pre-Columbian sedentary settlement. To be accepted, and be pertinent at a regional level, Silva et al.’s hypothesis would need to be supported by solid evidence (from numerous ADE sites), which we demonstrate is lacking.
processos de deposição e de transformação desses locais ao longo do tempo. A experimentação com o objetivo de
reproduzir contextos arqueológicos, apesar de amplamente utilizada em algumas regiões, ainda foi pouco explorada em
contextos amazônicos, que possuem processos tafonômicos específicos. Este trabalho visa, através da experimentação,
testar algumas das variáveis estabelecidas em regiões temperadas para movimentação e preservação de material ósseo,
buscando entender tanto suas validades para a Amazônia quanto as dinâmicas específicas dos microcontextos. Foram
utilizados galinhas e materiais de acompanhamento para estruturar os ensaios, enterrados e deixados em superfície. Os
resultados apontam para fatores extrínsecos conhecidos, como a presença de raízes de plantas, o contato direto ou não
com o solo e outros, mas cujas dinâmicas em contexto amazônico parecem amplificadas. Ao final, propomos que as
observações obtidas podem ser significativas para a arqueologia amazônica como um todo.
in pre-Columbian economies. In this paper, we present results of the first zooarcheological study in the
Central Amazon, carried out at the Hatahara site, a large pre-Columbian settlement situated at the confluence
of the Amazon and Negro rivers. The faunal assemblage comes from archeological features belonging to the
Paredão phase occupation (750–1230 CE) and reveals that fish were the primary animal resource. The richness
of ichthyofaunal spectrum (37 taxa) recovered is the most varied continental fish spectrum described to date
in South-American archeology and shows the fishermen's profound knowledge of specific ecological niches
and fishing techniques. Amazon aquatic turtles (Podocnemis spp.) were the second most frequently exploited
aquatic resource. These data demonstrate the key role of aquatic resources in ancient Amazonia economies
and suggests that fishing could have provided long-term subsistence to large Amerindian settlements.
(Parte das informações forma retiradas da nota da Sociedade de Arqueologia Brasileira (SAB): https://www.sabnet.com.br/download/download?ID_DOWNLOAD=439)
Coleções Científicas do Amapá: Arqueologia, cartografia
e geologia. Instituto de Pesquisas Científicas e Tecnológicas do
Estado do Amapá. Organizadores: Patrick de Castro
Cantuária, Cecile de Souza Gama; Lúcio Flávio Siqueira
Costa Leite, Macapá, 2021.
Produção feita com recursos do PROEXT/MEC
Earths (ADEs) are expanses of dark soil that are exceptionally
fertile and contain large quantities of archaeological
artefacts. The elevated fertility of the dark and often deep A
horizon of ADEs is widely regarded as an outcome of pre-
Columbian human inuence1. Archaeological research provides
clear evidence that their widespread formation in lowland South
America was concentrated in the Late Holocene, an outcome of
sharp human population growth that peaked towards 1000 BP2–4.
In their recent paper Silva et al.5 argue that the higher fertility of
ADEs is principally a result of uvial deposition and, as a corollary,
that pre-Columbian peoples just made use of these locales,
contributing little to their enhanced nutrient status.