W
HOLE VERTEBRATES AND INVERTEBRATES RELATED TO HUMAN BURIALS
FROM XINGO REGION, SERGIPE AND ALAGOAS STATES, NORTHEASTERN
BRAZIL
Albérico Nogueira de Queiroz1, Olivia Alexandre de Carvalho1, Jaciara Andrade Silva2, Carlos
Eduardo Cardoso2
ABSTRACT
There were found and studied the total of 207 human skeletons recovered from two archaeological sites located at Canindé de São Francisco city in Sergipe State and Delmiro Gouveia city in Alagoas State, both also known as Xingó region. These prehistoric sites were named as “Justino” (at Sergipe State) and “São José II” (at Alagoas State). About the tombs from Justino site, 54 skeletons were recovered from the first chronological occupation, called as “Justino A (JUSTA)”, 77 skeletons from “Justino B (JUSTB)” chronological occupation, 40 skeletons from “Justino C (JUSTC)” chronological occupation and, 6 skeletons from “Justino D (JUSTD)”. The radiocarbon dating obtained from carbonized wood
for the Justino site is back from 1280±45 C14BP (LY-5750) and 8950±70 C14BP (BETA-86745) and for
the São José II is back from 3500±110 C14BP (BETA-86739) and 4140±90 C14BP (BETA-86740). The
types of burials recovered from these two sites mentioned above are very varied. The whole vertebrates were found in both men and women tombs and there were related with pottery pieces while invertebrates comprised of bivalve and gastropods mollusks as adornments found in women burials only, indicating a complex funerary ritual to this human group.
KEY WORDS: Vertebrates, Invertebrates, Justino and São José Archaeological Sites, Xingó Region, Brazil
RESUMEN
Se encontraron y estudiaron el total de 207 esqueletos humanos recuperados de dos sitios arqueológicos ubicados en la ciudad de Canindé de São Francisco, en el estado de Sergipe y en la ciudad Delmiro Gouveia, en el estado de Alagoas, en la región conocida como Xingó, en el noreste de Brasil. Estos sitios prehistóricos fueron nombrados como “Justino” (en el estado de Sergipe) y “São José II” (en el estado de Alagoas). Sobre las tumbas del sitio Justino fueron recuperados 54 esqueletos humanos de la primera ocupación cronológica, llamada como “Justino A (JUSTA)”, 77 esqueletos de “Justino B (JUSTB)”, 40 esqueletos de “Justino C (JUSTC)” y 6 esqueletos de “Justino D (JUSTD)”. Los fechados
radiocarbónicos obtenidos de madera carbonizada para el sitio Justino está alrededor de 1280 ± 45 C14
AP (LY-5750) y 8950 ± 70 C14 AP (BETA-86745) y para el sitio São José II está por vuelta de 3500 ±
110 C14 AP (BETA-86739) y 4140 ± 90 C14 AP (BETA-86740). Los tipos de entierros recuperados de
estos dos sitios mencionados anteriormente son muy variados. Los esqueletos vertebrados completos se encontraron en tumbas de hombres y mujeres y estaban relacionados con piezas cerámicas, mientras que los invertebrados compuestos de moluscos bivalvos y gasterópodos en forma de adornos estaban solamente en los entierros femeninos, lo que indica un ritual funerario demasiado complejo a ellos.
1 Laboratório de Bioarqueologia, Departamento de Arqueologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Arqueologia,
Universidade Federal de Sergipe. E-mail: anqueiroz@hotmail.com, ocarvalho99@hotmail.com
2Programa de Pós-Graduação em Arqueologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe. E-mail: jaciandrade21@hotmail.
PALABRAS CLAVE: Vertebrados, Invertebrados, Sitios Arqueológicos Justino y São José, Región de Xingó, Brasil
INTRODUCTION
During field works conducted between 1988 and 1994, the researchers from Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS) surveyed and excavated 56 archaeological sites in the area of the hydroelectric power plant of Xingó (UHE Xingó) in the northeastern region of Brazil (Figure 1) where 41 prehistoric sites and many rock paintings sites were recorded (Vergne and Amâncio 1992; Vergne 1995, 1996, 1997; Amâncio 1997; Martin, 1997; Carvalho, 2006).
Only in the area of Justino archaeological site the researchers observed structures of habitation and collected more than 50,000 archaeological objects, among them lithics, pottery, animal bones, shells and human skeletons associated with complex funeral rituals on the 9000-year early occupations of the region Xingó (Vergne, 1997).
The radiocarbon dating obtained from carbonized
wood for the Justino site is back from 1280±45
C14BP (LY-5750) and 8950±70 C14BP
(BETA-86745) and for the São José II is back from
3500±110 C14BP (BETA-86739) and 4140±90
C14BP (BETA-86740).
The interest for zooarchaeological remains had greater relevance after accurate observations of whole and partially entire animals associated to some human burials from the Justino (Simon et al. 1999; De Queiroz and Chaix 1999; De Queiroz and Carvalho 2005) and São José archaeological
sites (Carvalho 2006, 2007), according Figures 2
to 5.
Whereas at the Justino site vertebrates constituted the faunal remains associated with human male burials mostly, and others of indeterminate sex, at the site São José II invertebrates (gastropods mollusk shells) were represented as well as adornments associated with the of women and children burials (De Queiroz and Carvalho 2005;
Carvalho 2006; Carvalho 2007; Carvalho and Silva 2011; Silva, 2013).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The preliminary overview of funeral accompaniments was made by anthropologists and can be quite useful for understanding, even partial of some behavioral aspects of those people for conducting the funeral rites in prehistory. The wealth of animal evidence origin requires further, consistent and specific studies. The animals associated with human burials whose results are summarized out in Table 1, probably constituted the symbolic universe that surrounds the archaeological burial practices carried out in the study area.
Face of this panorama on animals and ritualistic activities becomes relevant to try to understand all the possible factors that involve both human
and animal burials. The relationship of these groups with the environment and this includes fauna, breaks old paradigms where animals are, in general, observed within the economic realm. Often faunal remains found at archaeological sites in Brazil were frequently interpreted as a food source, or in other cases of animal bones were worked and used as tools. Only with the passage of time and new theoretical approaches that view appears to have changed to begin the new process of observation of the animals associated with human tombs.
With this change of line of zooarchaeological approach there is the growth of research in the role of wildlife in mortuary contexts turns and goes beyond the economic proposal as defaulter in previous years. Thus the criteria for understanding the presence of animals in cemeteries sites have become more reliable.
Figure 3. Partial Whole Animal (Ciconiidae Famly Bird) in an Human Burial (Tomb 147) from Xingó Region (From: Carvalho 2006).
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
In this sense, we can consider the practices that stigmatize the remaining animals, as meaningful by placing them in a category that archaeologists may regard as an important ritual. The animals in a ritual may have been used in clothing, trophies and especially in burials, all these practices give a meaning to the faunal remains beyond consumption residues (Bell 1992).
Figure 6. Whole Animal (Galictiscuja, Mustelidae family) in an Human Burial (Tomb 119) from Xingó Region (From: Carvalho 2006).
Figure 5. Adornment of a Bivalve Shell (Closed to the Cervical Region) in an Human Burial (Child, Tomb 27) from Xingó Region (From: Carvalho 2006).
The archaeological record from the sites in the studied region of Xingó (Justino and São José II) seems to demonstrate the prehistoric groups which inhabited that region practiced funeral rituals linked to nature held in pre-established activity areas. Evidences grant to consider each individual received a type of mortuary complement with symbolic purpose connected to his status and activity performed in life.
te Fau na Es pe cifi ca tio n Ad ornme nts Buri al I nf orma tio ns Q ua nt . Dim. cm (A vg) Nu m -ber Re la tiv e D at in g (C¹⁴) Lay er Sex A ge (Y) Jus tino Ve rte br ate Pa rt ia l w ho le a nim al - F alco nif or m es o rder b ird -34 1280±45 C¹⁴ B P (L yo n, F ra nce) 1780± 60 B P L yo n, F ra nce) A Ma le 40-45 In ve rte br ate Ado rnm en t o f b ead s p ro duce d in ga str op od s he ll - P oli shin g t he e dg e o f t he ou ter t o t he inn er 26 0,30 4? 1280±45 C¹⁴ B P (L yo n, F ra nce) 1780± 60 C¹⁴ B P L yo n, F ra nce) A -In ve rte br ate Ado rnm en t o f b ead s p ro duce d in ga str op od s he ll 21 4,40 116 2530±70 C¹⁴ B P (UFB A, B razi l) 3270± 135 C¹⁴ B P (L yo n, F ra nce) B U ndet 15-19 In ve rte br ate Ado rnm en t o f b ead s p ro duce d in ga str op od s he ll - p res en t v er tic al c uts a nd w hi te co lo rin g 16 3,89 In ve rte br ate Ado rnm en t o f b ead s p ro duce d in ga str op od s he ll - fl at ten ed a nd r oun de d pa rts w ith p er fo ra tio n in t he cen ter 76 0,50 118 2530±70 C¹⁴ B P (UFB A, B razi l) 3270± 135 C¹⁴ B P (L yo n, F ra nce) B Ma le 50-59 Ve rte br ate W ho le a nim al - S ke let on o f a f er ret (Ga lac tis c uj a) -119 2530±70 C¹⁴ B P (UFB A, B razi l) 3270± 135 C¹⁴ B P (L yo n, F ra nce) B Ma le 50-59 In ve rte br ate Ado rnm en t o f b ead s p ro duce d in s he ll - O liv el la s p. (N eoga str op od a o rder , O liv id ae fa mi ly) 196 G re at er 0,7 L ow er 0,4 137 2530±70 C¹⁴ B P (UFB A, B razi l) 3270± 135 C¹⁴ B P (L yo n, F ra nce) B Ma le Adu lt Ve rte br ate Pa rt ia l w ho le a nim al - B ird o f p re y s ke let on -166 2530±70 C¹⁴ B P (UFB A, B razi l) 3270± 135 C¹⁴ B P (L yo n, F ra nce) B U ndet Adu lt In ve rte br ate Ado rnm en t a s a b race let k in d o f ga str op od , r oun de d. P oli shin g ext er na l/in ter -na l a nd in ter na l/ext er na l 1 Di am et er 6,30 147 4790±80 C¹⁴ B P (B et a, USA) 5570± 70 C¹⁴ B P (B et a, USA) C U ndet 5-9 Ve rte br ate In co m plet e in det er min at ed m amm al - B on es a nd t eet h -148 4790±80 C¹⁴ B P (B et a, USA) 5570± 70 C¹⁴ B P (B et a, USA) C U ndet ±5 In ve rte br ate Ado rnm en t o f b ead s p ro duce d in s he ll - A ll p ar ts h av e in ten tio na lly p ier cin g 10 3,25 160 8950±70 C¹⁴ B P (B et a, USA) D Fem ale 40-49 In ve rte br ate Ado rnm en t w ith t w o in ten tio na l p er fo ra tio ns n ea r t he en ds. P res en ts w hi te co lo rin g 1 6,10 -São J osé In ve rte br ate Fun era l acco m pa nim en t o f a b iva lv e m ol lu sk s he ll f ra gm en te d 1 -21 3500±110 C¹⁴ B P (B et a, USA) 4140± 90 C¹⁴ B P (B et a, USA) -U ndet 1-4 In ve rte br ate Fun era l acco m pa nim en t o f a m ol lu sk s he ll o f t he M yt ilid ae fa mi ly 1 -25 3500±110 C¹⁴ B P (B et a, USA) 4140± 90 C¹⁴ B P (B et a, USA) -Fem ale 40-49 In ve rte br ate Fun era l acco m pa nim en t - ga str op od s he ll 1 -27 3500±110 C¹⁴ B P (B et a, USA) 4140± 90 C¹⁴ B P (B et a, USA) -U ndet 5-9
Ta
bl
e 1. S
yn
th
es
is o
f H
um
an B
ur
ia
ls w
ith V
er
teb
ra
te
s a
nd I
nv
er
teb
ra
te
s R
em
ai
ns f
ro
m J
us
tin
o a
nd S
ão J
os
é II S
ite
s (X
in
gó R
eg
io
n).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
AMÂNCIO, S. G. S.
1997. Arte Rupestre em Xingó. Caderno de
Arqueologia 9. UFS/CHESF–PETROBRAS/PAX,
São Cristóvão. BELL, C.M.
1992. Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice. Oxford University Press, New York.
CARVALHO, O. A.
2006. Contribution à l’Archéologie Brésilienne:
Etude Paléoanthropologique de Deux Nécropoles de la Région de Xingó, Etat de Sergipe, Nord-est du Brésil. Doctoral Thesis. Faculté des Sciences,
Université de Genève, Genève. PhD. CARVALHO, O. A.
2007. Bioanthropologie dês Nécropoles de Justino et de São José II, Xingó, Brésil. Museu de Arqueologia de Xingó, Aracaju.
CARVALHO, O. A.and SILVA, J. A.
2011. Adornos encontrados nos sepultamentos do sítio Justino e sua relação com a Arqueotanatologia. InO Despertar do Conhecimento na Colina
Azulada, Vol. III, edited by NOGUEIRA, A. D. &
SILVA, E. D. da., pp. 13-50. Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão.
DE QUEIROZ, A. N. and CHAIX, L.
1999. Os vestígios faunísticos provenientes dos sítios arqueológicos: uma visão geral. In: Enterramentos na Necrópole do Justino-Xingó, edited by SIMON, C.; CARVALHO.
O.; QUEIROZ, A. N..; CHAIX, L., pp. 49-55. Universidade Federal de Sergipe (Projeto Arqueológico de Xingó: Convênio Petrobras), São Cristóvão.
DE QUEIROZ, A. N. and CARVALHO, O. A.
2005. Les animaux des tombes de Justino, Xingó (Brésil) et leur apport à lʼarchéologie brésilienne. Revue de Paléobiologie, 10: 129-133.
MARTIN, G.
1997. Pré-história do Nordeste do Brasil. 2ª Ed. Universitária da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife.
SILVA, J. A.
2013. O Corpo e os Adereços: Sepultamentos
Humanos e as Especificidades dos Adornos Funerários. Master Dissertation. Programa de
Pós-Graduação em Arqueologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão. Ms.
SIMON, C.; CARVALHO. O.; QUEIROZ, A. N..; CHAIX, L.
1999. Enterramentos na necrópole do
Justino-Xingó.Univ. Federal de Sergipe. (Projeto
arqueológico de Xingó: Convênio Petrobras), São Cristóvão.
VERGNE, C.
1995. O Projeto Arqueológico de Xingó, em Sergipe e Alagoas. CLIO-Série Arqueológica1(11): 213-216.
1996. O Projeto Arqueológico de Xingó em Sergipe e Alagoas. CLIO–Série Arqueológica1(8): 171-182.
1997. Enterramento em dois sítios arqueológicos em Xingó. Caderno deArqueologia 6.UFS/ CHESF–PETROBRAS/PAX, São Cristóvão. 2002. Estruturas Funerárias do Sítio Justino: Distribuição no espaço e notempo. Canindé (2): 251-273.
VERGNE, C. and AMÂNCIO, S.
1992. A necrópole pré-histórica do Justino, Xingó, Sergipe. CLIO-Série Arqueológica, 1(8): 171-182.
