Cultural Behaviors of Indigenous Populations and the Formation of the Archaeological Record in Amazonian Dark Earths: The Asurini do Xingú Case Study

Abstract

Contemporary indigenous populations constitute a privileged object of research and learning for archaeologists, mainly in what concerns the understanding of cultural processes contributing to the formation of the archaeological record. The possibility of catching a glimpse of the behavioral dynamics of individuals in their subsistence activities, as well as in the production, use and discard of material items, contributes to the establishment of a complex field of analysis in archaeology. Research in ethnographic contexts can help us understand the cultural processes involved in the formation of Amazonian Dark Earths (ADE), locally known as terra preta de índio, since it provides an indication both of how past populations used settlement space and which everyday activities contributed to the formation of these deposits. Much ethnoarchaeological work about spatial organization and use of space shows a fundamental preoccupation with how to establish a relationship between an activity, activity areas, and disposal of materials (Yellen, 1977; Binford, 1978, 1980, 1991; Gould, 1978, 1980; Kent, 1984, 1987). Very few scientific data are available on cultural behaviors of indigenous populations in the Amazon basin that give indications about the archaeological record. In this work we discuss the Asurini do Xingú, an indigenous population of the Tupi linguistic stock, who live in a village along the Xingú River, in the State of Pará, Brasil. We report our observations about the way in which this population uses different areas inside the village, specifically in what concerns the activities of production, use and discard of ceramics. With this study we intend to contribute to the discussion of hypotheses about what were the possible cultural behaviors that have generated the formation of Amazonian Dark Earths in the past.