Phytolith analysis in Sernambetiba shell mound, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

Summary

Phytoliths are an important evidence for archaeology to address the behavior of ancient human societies, specifically their relation with botanical contexts. As with any other archaeological material, it is important to assess the preservation of these silica structures, understanding the process of degradation and dissolution that affects them. One of the factors cited in the literature as responsible for the degradation of phytoliths is the alkaline condition of sediments. Humid tropical conditions also have been indicated as aggressive for these structures. Archaeological tropical shell middens are good scenarios to explore the role that these conditions play in the phytoliths’ preservation. In order to assess the behavior of these plant micro-remains in these conditions, we analyze four sediment samples from Sernambetiba, a shell mound located in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Here we present the preliminary results of this analysis, the structures identified until now, and some conclusions about the behavior of the human group responsible for the deposition of the plant remains observed.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Shell Midden Microarchaeology Unraveled

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