Bonin Site: a circular village on Southern Brazilian Highlands?

Author(s): Rafael Corteletti; Paulo DeBlasis

Year: 2017

Summary

Bonin site is one of many pit house villages located in Santa Catarina state, southern Brazilian highlands. It has been excavated since 2011. In this paper, we aim to present new data on pottery analysis, chronology, and spatial analysis which are suggesting a village plan organized in a circular shape. Dated from 13th to 17th centuries this village has 23 pit structures, many of them used as pit ovens, filled with basalt rocks and ceramic vessels. Micro-botanical remains analysis reveals the consumption of manioc (Manihot esculenta Crantz), beans (Phaseolus sp.), and possibly yams (cf. Dioscorea sp.) in addition to maize (Zea mays L.) and squash (Cucurbita sp.). Macro-botanical and faunal remains recovered by flotation reveals the consumption of pinhão (Araucaria angustifolia nut), beans, Arecaceae nuts, as well fish, small mammals, and birds. The circular shape is easily identified in Jê villages located far north in Brazil, but it is a novel interpretation for ancient southern Jê settlements.

Cite this Record

Bonin Site: a circular village on Southern Brazilian Highlands?. Rafael Corteletti, Paulo DeBlasis. Presented at The 81st Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Vancouver, British Columbia. 2017 ( tDAR id: 428813)

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Spatial Coverage

min long: -93.691; min lat: -56.945 ; max long: -31.113; max lat: 18.48 ;

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15206