Fishing intensification as response to Late Holocene socio-ecological instability in southeastern South America
Toso, Alice (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Hallingstad, Ellen (University of York. Department of Archaeology)
McGrath, Krista Michelle (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Prehistòria)
Fossile, Thiago (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Conlan, Christine (Simon Fraser University. Department of Archaeology)
Ferreira, Jessica (Universidade da Região de Joinville. Departamento de Ciências Biológicas)
da Rocha Bandeira, Dione (Universidade da Região de Joinville. Museu Arqueológico de Sambaqui de Joinville)
Giannini, Paulo César Fonseca (Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Geociências)
Gilson, Simon-Pierre (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Departamento de História)
de Melo Reis Bueno, Lucas (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Departamento de História)
Bastos, Murilo Quintans Ribeiro (Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Departamento de Antropologia)
Borba, Fernanda Mara (Universidade da Região de Joinville)
do Santos, Adriana M. P. (Universidade da Região de Joinville)
Colonese, Andre Carlo (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Prehistòria)

Date:	2021
Abstract:	The emergence of plant-based economies have dominated evolutionary models of Middle and Late Holocene pre-Columbian societies in South America. Comparatively, the use of aquatic resources and the circumstances for intensifying their exploitation have received little attention. Here we reviewed the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of 390 human individuals from Middle and Late Holocene coastal sambaquis, a long-lasting shell mound culture that flourished for nearly 7000 years along the Atlantic Forest coast of Brazil. Using a newly generated faunal isotopic baseline and Bayesian Isotope Mixing Models we quantified the relative contribution of marine resources to the diet of some of these groups. Through the analysis of more than 400 radiocarbon dates we show that fishing sustained large and resilient populations during most of the Late Holocene. A sharp decline was observed in the frequency of sambaqui sites and radiocarbon dates from ca. 2200 years ago, possibly reflecting the dissolution of several nucleated groups into smaller social units, coinciding with substantial changes in coastal environments. The spread of ceramics from ca. 1200 years ago is marked by innovation and intensification of fishing practices, in a context of increasing social and ecological instability in the Late Holocene.
Grants:	European Commission 817911 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación CEX2019-000940-M
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in:	Scientific reports, Vol. 11 (December 2021) , art. 23506, ISSN 2045-2322

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02888-7
PMID: 34873216

14 p, 2.6 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles