Lithic assemblages in Amazonian ceramic sites: a case study of Domingos site, Canaã dos Carajás, Pará

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the study of a lithic assemblage collected during the archaeological excavations realized by the “Programa de Arqueologia Preventiva na Área de Mineração Serra do Sossego”. The lithic analysis focused the collection formed during the excavations of the Domingos site. These excavations happened in different periods from 2003 to 2005. The objectives of this analysis involved the identification of raw materials, the characterization of each process of appropriation, the definition of indexes of activity areas by the characterization of the type of modifications produced in the artifacts and the spatial distribution of the remains in the stratigraphy to investigate the existence of more than one occupation of the Domingos site. From the results of the technological analysis and the distribution of the lithic remains intra-site, we present a hypothesis on the site formation processes and show the great potential of the study of lithic technology in ceramist contexts.