The Oldest Case of Decapitation in the New World (Lapa do Santo, East-Central Brazil)

We present here evidence for an early Holocene case of decapitation in the New World (Burial 26), found in the rock shelter of Lapa do Santo in 2007. Lapa do Santo is an archaeological site located in the Lagoa Santa karst in east-central Brazil with evidence of human occupation dating as far back as 11.7-12.7 cal kyBP (95.4% interval). An ultra-filtered AMS age determination on a fragment of the sphenoid provided an age range of 9.1-9.4 cal kyBP (95.4% interval) for Burial 26. The interment was composed of an articulated cranium, mandible and first six cervical vertebrae. Cut marks with a v-shaped profile were observed in the mandible and sixth cervical vertebra. The right hand was amputated and laid over the left side of the face with distal phalanges pointing to the chin and the left hand was amputated and laid over the right side of the face with distal phalanges pointing to the forehead. Strontium analysis comparing Burial 26's isotopic signature to other specimens from Lapa do Santo suggests this was a local member of the group. Therefore, we suggest a ritualized decapitation instead of trophy-taking, testifying for the sophistication of mortuary rituals among hunter-gatherers in the Americas during the early Archaic period. In the apparent absence of wealth goods or elaborated architecture, Lapa do Santo's inhabitants seemed to use the human body to express their cosmological principles regarding death

The Rio Peruaçu Basin: An Impressive Multiphased Karst System

International audienceThe Rio Peruaçu basin is located on the left bank of the Rio São Francisco, in the north of the state of Minas Gerais. While its upper portion collects the waters flowing from the sandstone formations of the Urucuia, its lower part cuts into the Bambuí limestones, carving out a narrow canyon about 200 m deep for which the site is known. Over more than 17 km, the stream opens a bed that disappears underground six times. These underground sections are the remainders of an extensive and complex primitive karst network. Although some segments consist merely of simple but majestic arches, others, such as the Brejal and especially the Janelão, offer kilometers of underground galleries that can attain exceptional dimensions. For example, the Janelão cave reaches a ceiling height of 106 m and a width of 60 m. This canyon is punctuated by large and flat areas that function as reservoirs, namely the poljes of Silu and Terra Brava, and at the confluence with the Rio dos Sonhos. The system results from a complex Cenozoic evolution, including several spectacular episodes. As currently reconstituted, this evolution comprises at least three main episodes. The impressive landscapes of this region are not its only interesting feature: humans have occupied the basin since prehistoric times, as attested by about a hundred rock shelters and open-air dwelling sites that have not yet revealed all their secrets

Impacts of CO2-induced seawater acidification on coastal Mediterranean bivalves and interactions with other climatic stressors

The effects of seawater acidification caused by increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), combined with other climatic stressors, were studied on 3 coastal Mediterranean bivalve species: the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and the clams Chamelea gallina and Ruditapes decussatus. CO2 perturbation experiments produced contrasting responses on growth and calcification of juvenile shells, according to species and location. In the Northern Adriatic (Italy), long-term exposure to reduced pH severely damaged the shells of M. galloprovincialis and C. gallina and reduced growth for the latter species. Seawater in the Ria Formosa lagoon (Portugal) was consistently saturated in carbonates, which buffered the impacts on calcification and growth. After 80 days, no shell damage was observed in Portugal, but mussels in the acidified treatments were less calcified. Reduced clearance, ingestion and respiration rates and increased ammonia excretion were observed for R. decussatus under reduced pH. Clearance rates of juvenile mussels were significantly reduced by acidification in Italy, but not in Portugal. Both locations showed a consistent trend for increased ammonia excretion with decreasing pH, uggesting increased protein catabolism. Respiratory rates were generally not affected. Short-term factorial experiments done in Italy revealed that acidification caused alterations in immunological parameters of adult bivalves, particularly at temperature and salinity values far from the optimal for the species in the Mediterranean. Overall, our results showed large variations in the sensitivities of bivalves to climatic changes, among different species and between local populations of the same species. Expectations of impacts, mitigation and adaptation strategies have to consider such local variability