Moieties and mortuary mounds: dualism at a mound and enclosure complex in the southern Brazilian Highlands

Excavations at Abreu Garcia provide a detailed case study of a mound and enclosure mortuary complex utilised by the southern proto-Je in the southern Brazilian highlands. The recovery of 16 secondary cremation deposits within a single mound allows an in-depth discussion of spatial aspects of mortuary practice. A spatial division in the placement of the interments adds another level of duality to the mortuary landscape, which comprises: i) paired mound and enclosures; ii) twin mounds within a mound and enclosure; and iii) the dual division in the mound interior. The multiple levels of nested asymmetric dualism evoke similarities to the moiety system that characterizes modern southern Je groups, highlighting both the opposition and the complementarity of the social system. The findings offer a deeper insight into fundamental aspects of southern proto-Je social organization, including the dual nature of the community, the manifestation of social structure on the landscape and its incorporation into mortuary ritual. The results have implications for research design and developing appropriate methodologies to answer culture specific questions. Furthermore, the parallels among archaeology, ethnohistory and ethnography enable an understanding of the foundation of modern descendent groups and an assessment of the continuity in indigenous culture beyond European contact

The Amazonian Formative: Crop Domestication and Anthropogenic Soils

The emergence of sedentism and agriculture in Amazonia continues to sit uncomfortably within accounts of South American pre-Columbian history. This is partially because deep-seated models were formulated when only ceramic evidence was known, partly because newer data continue to defy simple explanations, and partially because many discussions continue to ignore evidence of pre-Columbian anthropogenic landscape transformations. This paper presents the results of recent geoarchaeological research on Amazonian anthropogenic soils. It advances the argument that properties of two different types of soils, terras pretas and terras mulatas, support their interpretation as correlates of, respectively, past settlement areas and fields where spatially-intensive, organic amendment-reliant cultivation took place. This assessment identifies anthropogenic soil formation as a hallmark of the Amazonian Formative and prompts questions about when similar forms of enrichment first appear in the Amazon basin. The paper reviews evidence for embryonic anthrosol formation to highlight its significance for understanding the domestication of a key Amazonian crop: manioc (Manihot esculenta ssp. esculenta). A model for manioc domestication that incorporates anthropogenic soils outlines some scenarios which link the distribution of its two broader varieties—sweet and bitter manioc—with the widespread appearance of Amazonian anthropogenic dark earths during the first millennium AD

Os Indios Parintintin do Rio Madeira

Nimuendajú Curt. Os Indios Parintintin do Rio Madeira. In: Journal de la Société des Américanistes. Tome 16, 1924. pp. 201-278

Reconhecimento dos rios Içána, Ayarí e Uaupés.

Nimuendajú Curt. Reconhecimento dos rios Içána, Ayarí e Uaupés.. In: Journal de la Société des Américanistes. Tome 39, 1950. pp. 125-182

Reconhecimento dos rios Icána, Ayarí, e Uaupés, março a julho de 1927. Apontamentos linguísticos.

Nimuendajú Curt. Reconhecimento dos rios Icána, Ayarí, e Uaupés, março a julho de 1927. Apontamentos linguísticos. In: Journal de la Société des Américanistes. Tome 44, 1955. pp. 149-178

Vocabularios Makusí, Wapicána, Ipurinã' e Kapisanã'.

Nimuendajú Curt. Vocabularios Makusí, Wapicána, Ipurinã' e Kapisanã'.. In: Journal de la Société des Américanistes. Tome 44, 1955. pp. 179-197