Geochemical analysis of lithic raw material in Brazilian Central Plateau: Procurement strategies in Pleistocene-Holocene transition and Early Holocene

Abstract

Strategies of raw material procurement was of Paramount importance for human groups emphasizing lithic technology in the past. In addition to their natural dispersion troughout the landscape access to high quality raw material could also reflect territorial boundaries, mobility dynamics, and cultural choices. This project aims to characterize raw material provenance and acquisition in the early Archaic (late Pleistocene/early Holocene) of the Central Brazilian Plateau through geochemical analyses (XRF, LA-ICP-MS, NAA) of lithic artifacts and their potential sources throughout the landscape . The samples include lithic remains collected from layers dated between 14.0 ky and 9.0 ky cal years BP at the following sites: 1) Lapa do Santo, in the region of Lagoa Santa; and 2) Lapa do Boquete, in the region of Peruaçu River Valley, northwest of Minas Gerais. This characterization aims to verify the provenance of the raw materials, the diachronic variation in the raw material sources used in tool production at each site, and their relationships with the mobility patterns of the groups. This Research Internship Abroad Project (BEPE) intends to perform the analytical techniques at the Archaeometry Laboratory at MURR®, at the University of Missouri. This laboratory has the necessary infrastructure and a team with expertise in applying geochemical analyses focused on the characterization of archaeological materials.