Phytoliths and terra preta: The hatahara site example

Abstract

In this chapter analyses the results from soils sampled in the Hatahara archaeological site. The first objective of this proposal was to determine if the Hatahara had an agricultural field during the pre-Columbian times and, if validated the agricultural use of the land, to identify the plants that were cultivated in the past. The general site characteristics and location were presented in earlier chapters (see Rebellato et al. Chapter 2 in this volume; Arroyo-Kalin Chapter 3 in this volume). The samples were collected from a ca. 1.5 m column through one of the site's mounds (M-I; see Fig. 2.2 this volume). The mound is associated with the Paredao phase occupation of the site. The mound was constructed with dark earth soil from the surrounding area that had developed during the previous Manacapuru occupation (see Machado 2005). Consequently, the archaeological materials, including the phytoliths, found within it are not in situ and are from the disturbed context developed by this earthmoving operation ca. 1,000 years ago. Even the terra preta below the mound is not in primary context. It was disturbed by a burial program that occurred during Manacapuru phase c500 years before the construction of the mound. A total of 22 skeletons was recovered from the submound context. So, there are basically two contexts represented by these samples: (1) The redeposited materials from within the mound; and (2) The turbated materials found below the mound. The latter are at least close to their original place of deposition and were sealed by the mound. Within the mound the materials are most likely in inverse stratigraphic/temporal position and come from a much wider area. In spite of the disturbed context for these samples it is felt that the study was available one in that it demonstrated the array of useful plants found in association with the occupations of the Hatahara site. As will be seen the phytolith data derived from this study (one of the very few so far in Amazonia) are in conformance with the stance of that a broadlybased subsistence strategy was operant in the Central Amazon during the pre Columbian period. © Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2009.