Lithic artifacts of Serra da Capivara: detailed inventory of "Estado do Piauí" - Silvia Maranca archaeological collection (MAE-USP)

Abstract

The Serra da Capivara National Park (PI) is a notorious place for its archaeological record dating to Pleistocene times. The "Boqueirão da Pedra Furada" and the "Sítio do Meio" were sites intensively studied by the "Missão Franco Brasileira" since 1970 's. Dating of both sites questioned the main theories about the settlement of the American resulting in strong criticism from the international community. Although the great majority of the material excavated at Serra da Capivara is housed at local institutions (i.e. FUMDHAM) the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology of the University of São Paulo has a collection resulting from the work of Dr. Silvia Maranca, a leading archaeologist involved in the early phases of research in the area. However, there is no inventory of the MAE-USP collection and therefore its potential for research is currently not known. The present proposal aims to create a detailed inventory of the lithic artifacts that are part of the "Estado do Piauí" collection. As part of the activities, the curation and digitalization of the pieces will be made, through micro-CT. Thus, this work will contribute to the better storage and preservation of the collection. As a final product, a catalog will be created to enable future technological analysis and, therefore, provide subsidies that may amplify the researches.