defines how the archaeologist areas and issues Brazilian research in large, complex and well over 500 years? Fixing suitcases
are planning a family vacation and then displayed questions: "Where to go?," An ecological journey in the middle of the Amazon rainforest?, "Holding the course for the cold mountain Gauchos of the South, or did embark for long sunny beaches of the Northeast.
All potions are more attractive, depending on where you choose and the destination, our family will have to change the contents of the suitcases.
This is normal, because Brazil is among the countries with the highest territorial extension, sheltering from Oiapoque Chui, large regional variations. There are differences in climate, relief, flora and fauna, in the same way that there are cultural differences: in the south, find family travel to the pampas gauchos drinking mate and prepare a nice roast, bay, part of a capoeira (dance mixed with native control of the black slaves) and revel in the delights in the shops of Bahia, in the shade of coconut trees. And this is to cite only two examples. Keeping the divided
proportions, brazil pre-colonial (or Brazil before the arrival of European settlers) had also a complex mix of occupations human, each with its own identity and history.
Thus, the archaeologist must clearly define your area of \u200b\u200bexpertise, given Pesquisar black earth sites of the banks of the Amazon or coastal sites sambaqui southern Brazil, demanding a body of knowledge, different techniques and analysis.
After selecting the geographical area of \u200b\u200boperation, the archaeologist goes to establish the topic of research that will unfold, as well as research methods will be employed to find certain respuestas.Hay archaeologists who are dedicated, for example, Studies on the launch of the Brazilian population and migratory routes, or archaeologists interested in the introduction of agriculture, the emergence of complex societies, etc. There are countless possibilities for research, and it is precisely this variety that transforms the Brazilian archeology so rich and interesting.
of traveling to
detective work of the archaeologist can, in many ways, compared to the search of a detective. By the most varied material remains left by ancient societies, he seeks to reconstruct the different lifestyles of the past. Find these tracks will become the first step of the investigation.
The place where the vestiges appear is called by researchers "archaeological site". But the archaeological sites are varied, differ considerably among themselves, can be a big village, with 3,000 m2, or a small hunting camp, with apenas10m2.
Similarly, a site may present a large variety and quantity of objects (such as pottery shards, stone tools sharp and polished stone, the remains of fire, warehouses to store grain and cuttings up the hole at the huts) may contain a single type of evidence (such as burial sites, which only have graves).
Himself before going into the field, the archaeologist can get a good idea box of possibilities that you can find, using modern tools and technologies such as satellite images, aerial photographs and maps. Some sites more visible, as sambaquis the coast, or the panic of the Pantanal, they become identified from these maps and imagery, and field work are to confirm their presence. Periodic analysis of aerial images can also help in monitoring sites in the same way that environmental protection bodies seen at a distance, the deforestation of the Amazon forest and take the necessary measures for its preservation.
Testing Hypothesis field
After these preparatory steps, it's time to roll up archaeologist, and act directly on the ground, identifying and recording existing remnants of human occupation in a particular region.
Either way, it is necessary to recognize these remains, and this is not always easy. How to tell if a stone was broken naturally or if it was carved by human hand? The teams must be trained to recognize heritage; which may have been made for thousands of years ago and, often, already well beaten by the action of time. Additionally, the ruins can be in several places: in the margin of the great rivers, the high points of the hills, on slopes of fertile soil on islands or at the entrances of caves.
Here the experience of "archaeologist detective" who needs to know the sites in its area of \u200b\u200bresearch. For this, the archaeologist uses different techniques, from more general initial surveys to intensive surveys, also called "sweeping."
Some remains are found on the surface of the land and equipment, walking through the area, recognize parts scattered on the ground. Other remains are buried at depths ranging from a few centimeters to several meters. In this case, the archaeologist made a series of manual surveys, using picks, shovels and similar tools. In some situations it is justifiable, even the use of transport machinery such as excavators and bulldozers. To see what is buried, the archaeologist also features sophisticated resources that can see what lies beneath the surface. There are several methods and apparatus for geophysical unwrapped, such as GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) through the issuance of magnetic waves, detects the presence of bodies buried by sending an "X ray" from the ground. Yet, these devices are useful for defining most favorable areas for excavations, or identify areas that should be preserved for future research.
Having identified an archaeological site, the researchers conducted a series of activities such as filling the land registry records, the measurement of area, description of the traces, photographs and in some cases, collection of parts.
search of archaeological sites is, not much, just the first stage of the investigation. Many other field activities are still to come, not to mention the analysis and laboratory studies and cabinets. The work of "archaeologist detective goes far beyond ...
Published by the Brazilian Institute "Cultural Itaú" on its internet site devoted to the Brazilian Archaeology. (Http://www.itaucultural.org.br/arqueologia/)
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