How does a riverine setting affect the lifestyle of shellmound builders in Brazil?

Abstract

The contact of inland and coastal prehistoric groups in Brazil is believed to have been restricted to regions with no geographical barrier, as is the case in the Ribeira de Iguape valley. The inland osteological collection from the riverine shellmound Moraes (5800-4500 BP) represents a unique opportunity to test this assumption for this region. Despite cultural similarities between riverine and coastal shellmounds, important ecological and site distribution differences are expected to impact on lifestyle. The purpose of this study is thus to document and interpret health and lifestyle indicators in Moraes in comparison to coastal shellmound groups. Specifically we test if the rare evidence of fish and mollusk remains in the riverine shellmound led to (a) higher caries rates and (b) lower auditory exostosis frequency and (c) if the small size of the riverine shellmound translates into reduced demographic density and thus rarity of communicable infectious diseases. Of the three hypotheses, (a) was confirmed, (b) was rejected and (c) was partly rejected. Bioanthropological similarities between Moraes and coastal shellmounds include auditory exostoses with equally high frequencies; significantly more frequent osteoarthritis in upper than in lower limbs; cranial and dental morphological affinities and low frequencies of violent trauma. However, there are also important differences: Moraes subsisted on a much broader protein diet and consumed more cariogenic food, but showed a stature even shorter than coastal groups. Thus, despite the contact also suggested by treponematoses in both site types, there was enough time for the people at the riverine site to adapt to local conditions. 406 E g g e r s e t a l . i n H O M O -J o u r n a l o f C o m pa r at i v e H u m a n B i o l o g y 5 9 ( 2 0 0 8 ) ResumoO contato de grupos pré-históricos brasileiros interioranos e costeiros é tido como restrito a regiões sem barreiras geográficas, como é o caso do vale do Ribeira de Iguape. A coleção osteológica interiorana do sambaqui fluvial Moraes (5800-4500 pYB) representa uma oportunidade única para testar tal afirmação para a região sudeste. Embora haja similaridades culturais entre sambaquis fluviais e costeiros, espera-se que as importantes diferenças ecológicas e de padrão de assentamento influenciariam a saúde. No presente estudo, objetiva-se documentar e interpretar indicadores de saúde e estilo de vida dos habitants de Moraes, em comparação com sambaquieiros da costa. Mais especificamente investigamos se as raras evidências faunísticas de peixe e molusco no sambaqui fluvial associamse a (a) frequencias de cáries mais elevadas, e (b) proporções menores de exostose auditiva e se (c) as diminutas dimensões do sítio fluvial correspondem a baixa densidade demográfica e consequentemente baixos índices de doenças infecciosas transmissíveis. Confirmou-se (a), enquanto (b) foi inteiramente, e (c) parcialmente, rejeitada. Semelhanças bioantropológicas entre habitantes de Moraes e sambaquieiros da costa incluem exostese auditi...

Syphilis at the Crossroad of Phylogenetics and Paleopathology

“…In the case treponematoses emerged in the Old World by 4,000 yBP and were brought by more recent migrational waves to the New World, this would explain the pre-Columbian treponematoses finds in Europe and Asia (Figures 3 and 4, Table S1), but does not allow treponematoses in New World bones older than 4,000, as for example the case of yaws registered in bones as old as 7,900 yBP excavated in Florida [39] or the treponematosis from a circa 5,000 yBP riverine shell mound in Brazil [22].…”

“…Until recently, the great majority of studies on treponematoses were carried out on North American osteological collections [11]. However, the last years have seen a growing contribution of research on material stemming from other regions of the world [11], [16], [22]–[26]. Thus, exploring paleopathology to aid unraveling the origin of syphilis is mandatory.…”

A redefinition of waste: Deconstructing shell and fish mound formation among coastal groups of southern Brazil

“…Despite the long tradition of shellmound studies dating back to the end of the 19th century and the numerous work done in the last twenty years (Boyadjian and Eggers, 2014;Castilho, 2008;De Masi, 2001;Eggers et al, 2008;Figuti, 1992;Gaspar, 1998;Hubbe et al, 2009;Klokler, 2008;Okumura, 2007Okumura, , 2014; Rodrigues-Carvalho et al, 2009;Scheel-Ybert, 2014;Scheel-Ybert et al, 2003;Wesolowski et al, 2007), there is still sparse information on how the shellmounds were formed (i.e. the sequence and diversity of human actions involved in the process).…”

Paleoamerican Diet, Migration and Morphology in Brazil: Archaeological Complexity of the Earliest Americans

“…Much more recent (4,500 to 5,900 yBP - [9]) than Luzio from Capelinha, the people from Moraes show some similarities and some striking differences in comparison to the coastal sambaqui people. Bioanthropological similarities between Moraes and coastal sambaquis include [82]: a) equally high prevalence of auditory exostosis indicating frequent aquatic activities; b) significantly more frequent osteoarthroses in upper than lower limbs suggesting low walking distances; c) cranial and dental morphological affinities suggesting intense gene flow between coastal groups and the people from Moraes [73], [83]; and d) low frequencies of violent trauma, as if competition for resources, territory or perhaps mates was rare. However, there are also important differences: Moraes subsisted on a much broader protein diet and consumed more cariogenic food, but showed a stature even smaller than coastal groups, which perhaps could be the effect of frequent gastrointestinal diseases during childhood [82].…”

“…Bioanthropological similarities between Moraes and coastal sambaquis include [82]: a) equally high prevalence of auditory exostosis indicating frequent aquatic activities; b) significantly more frequent osteoarthroses in upper than lower limbs suggesting low walking distances; c) cranial and dental morphological affinities suggesting intense gene flow between coastal groups and the people from Moraes [73], [83]; and d) low frequencies of violent trauma, as if competition for resources, territory or perhaps mates was rare. However, there are also important differences: Moraes subsisted on a much broader protein diet and consumed more cariogenic food, but showed a stature even smaller than coastal groups, which perhaps could be the effect of frequent gastrointestinal diseases during childhood [82]. Thus, despite the contact between this riverine shellmound and coastal sambaquis suggested by gene flow, marine artifacts [9], as well as treponematoses in both sites [84], the people at Moraes were well adapted to local conditions, as shown by their terrestrial diet [69].…”