Incremental events in the construction of sambaquis, southeastern Santa Catarina.

Abstract

Moundbuilding is a cross-cultural phenomenon of nearly world-wide scope. In this article some of the moundbuilding processes related to the sambaquis (shellmounds) from the coast of Santa Catarina State, Brasil, are examined, focusing on field research at the sambaqui Jaboticabeira II. By means of analysing the mounding up processes at that site, attention is drawn to its social and demographic corollaries, which speak of considerable social elaboration and territorial permanence in time.

Keywords

• Shellmounds (sambaquis) - Moundbuilding - Social complexity of fishing-collecting-hunting groups.