Prehistory in the Cerrado: Anthracological analysis of Santa Elina and Cidade de Pedra rocks shelters (Mato Grosso)

Abstract

Study and analysis of carbonized plant remains discovered in archaeological context provide important information on the subsistence behaviors of human groups and the environment in which prehistoric people were living. This paper presents the results of antracological analyzes from fireplaces, charcoal concentrations and embers, from five rock shelters located in the south of the Mato Grosso state, dated from the late Pleistocene to the Holocene. From the taxonomic identification of charcoal, the objectives are to highlight the practices of hunter-gatherers associated with the wood collection (collection practices, collected species, selection criteria, supply areas, etc.) and the paleovegetation near the sites. The results indicate that different groups which have occupied the region were practicing opportunistic collection in vegetation near the shelters, mainly focused on dry wood. Landscape and climate were probably similar to the present, a typical flora of Cerrado Biome and a seasonal tropical climate. Keywords: Antracology; Palaeoetnobotanic; Prehistory; Brazil.