The greatest evidence of the pre-colonial presence that occupied the coastal region are archaeological sites called coastal sambaquis. Aiming to identify potential areas for installation of sambaqui groups on the coast of Sergipe and Bahia, it was proposed to use an unusual approach in Brazilian archeology which is to use, as a starting point, an understanding of the evolution of the coastal zone in the last 5600 cal years BP, to guide the archaeological exploration in search of shell mounds sites. The prospecting work carried out resulted in the discovery of archaeological sites of the sambaqui type on the northern coast of Bahia. This study becomes relevant when enabling increase of information concerning its physical environment and the transformations experienced by the coastal zone during the Holocene and their impact on pre-colonial occupation of the region.