Upper Xingu Project
| Archaeology and
indigenous history of Native Amazonian peoples in the Upper Xingu
region, Brazil, reveal unexpectedly complex regional settlement
patterns and large-scale transformations of local landscapes over
the past millennium. Mapping and excavation of archaeological structures
documents dramatic human-induced alteration of forest cover, particularly
related to large, dense late prehistoric settlements (c. AD 1200-1600).
The findings contribute importantly to debates on human carrying
capacity, population size and settlement patterns, anthropogenic
impacts on environment, and the importance of indigenous knowledge,
as well as to pride-of-place of native peoples in this part of the
Amazon. |
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