DINÂMICAS DE OCUPAÇÃO E PROCESSOS FORMATIVOS EM ABRIGOS ROCHOSOS DA SERRA DO IUIÚ (BA): UMA ABORDAGEM MICRO CONTEXTUAL

• Grant number: 25/00265-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: January 01, 2026
• End date: December 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Archeology - Historical Archaeology
• Principal Investigator: Ximena Suarez Villagran
• Grantee: Daniella Gusmão Baroni
• Host Institution: Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia (MAE). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/08230-7 - The coastal societies of pre-colonial Brazil: frontiers and cultural transitions through microarchaeology, AP.R

Abstract

The frequency of archaeological records in rock shelters and caves demonstrates the occupation and use of these sites for a wide range of purposes by different cultural systems. These systems present particularities resulting from the complex interactions between human beings and their environment, which develop on a local and regional scale in quite unique ways. Shelters and caves are defined by many authors as highly complex archaeological deposits, as they concentrate various types of materials and typically anthropic modifications, preserved in an exceptional manner due to their protection from the elements. This condition favors a broader understanding of the occupation of these spaces. Archaeological studies in the Brazilian Northeast and Central Brazil reveal a long occupation, dating back to the Holocene (11.650 cal BP), with records that present certain similarities. These data indicate a broader cultural context, marked by connections between valleys and various regional particularities. Recent research on shelters and caves in Brazil corroborates these interpretations, highlighting the need for more integrated analyses of the archaeological record in the Northeast region - especially due to the scarcity of geoarchaeological data for these contexts in the state. Such studies point to the possibility of new discoveries from the investigation of the formation processes of these sites. This research project is linked to the FAPESP Regular Research Grant "Coastal societies of pre-colonial Brazil: borders and cultural transitions through microarchaeology" (Grant 2023/08230-7), which contributes to the understanding of the dynamics of mobility and social organization along the Atlantic coast in different regions of Brazil, integrating results from different methodological approaches. Thus, the project proposes a geoarchaeological study of four archaeological sites: Toca da Braúna I, Toca do Jacu, Escrevida III and Escrevida IV, located in the Serra do Iuiú, in southwestern Bahia. The investigation will include a detailed description of the stratigraphy and micromorphology of the sediments, complemented by other analytical techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). (AU)