Isotopical analysis of the diet and subsistence patterns of pre-historical huntergatherer groups from Central Brazil / Reconstituição da dieta e dos padrões de subsistência das populações pré-históricas de caçadores-coletores do Brasil Central através da ecologia isotópica

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2009

RESUMO

Research in the field of isotopic ecology applied to archaeology has been in constant development for the past two decades, however only a few studies had been made towards this area in Brazil. This study has the objective of generating data to test two contrasting models regarding the strategies of subsistence used by pre-historical societies of Central Brazil, since the end of the Pleistocene (ca. 12.000 years B.P.) and during the Holocene using stable isotopes as an analytic tool. For such, there had been used faunistic and human archaeological bone samples, from two different regions of Central Brazil: Lagoa Santa and Vale do Peruaçu, Minas Gerais state. From this material collagen samples were extracted and, afterwards, analyzed in a mass spectrometer in order to obtain the 13C and 15N values. The results obtained for both human populations indicate a typically omnivorous diet, with a strong tendency towards vegetable consumption if compared with the other animals used in the trophic web characterization. The young human individuals from Lagoa Santa (up to 5 years old) show a statistically different 15N values if compared to the rest of the human remains from the same population, showing a tendency for extensive breastfeeding age. It was also found evidence of a possible climatic change at Vale do Peruaçu around Middle Holocene demonstrated by 15N variations in Kerodon rupestris. Santana do Riacho site, in the Lagoa Santa region showed probable indications of maize presence, as two Cavia aperea samples yielded typical C4 plant consumption (average 13C= -12.19 and 15N= 2.63) also proving to be statistically different from the other individuals of the same species in the whole sample, on the other hand as the sample size is too small and more analysis are needed in order to confirm this tendency.

ASSUNTO(S)

diet hunters and gatherers arqueologia paleoambientes. caçadores e coletores isótopos estáveis paleoenvironment. dieta stable isotopes archaeology

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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