The explotation of the Lithologic resources in the region of Cidade de Pedra, Rondonópolis-Mato Grosso

Author(s)

Valéria Cristina Ferreira e Silva

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia (MAE)
• Defense date: 2006-04-04

Examining board members

Levy Figuti; Gilson Rodolfo Martins; Agueda Vilhena Vialou

• Advisor: Levy Figuti

Abstract

The research into the exploitation of raw material sources is linked to the understanding of space in multiple aspects such as geographical, geological, biological and most af all its cultural characteristics. It involves having insights into the predictability, distribution, density and diversity of resources within a specific area. Rocks, as one of these resources, are the study object of this project which aims at carrying out a discussion about the varying strategies for collecting and using lithological raw material found on the works of four archeological sites in the region nowadays known as Cidade de Pedra (Stone City), within the Vermelho river basin in Rondonópolis. Aiming at this, geological mapping and petrographical analysis techniques were used in order to locate potential collecting sources for lithological raw material. By doing so, visited areas could be determined to offer the possibility of analyzing the potentiality of the lithological material as an indicator of the dynamics between human activities and the landscape. It was then possible to confirm that appropriation of raw material fluctuates from one archeological site to another, indicating different methods of exploitation of petrographic resources, considering that the collection of lithological material covers an area of up to 20 kilometers. (AU)