Funerary Program of the Tupinambá in Araruama, RJ - Bananeiras Site.

Résumé

In this article, we aim to present significant information about the mortuary structure found in the “Bananeiras” archaeological site (Araruama, RJ) related to theTupinamba settlement. The preservation of skeletal remains was observed and, although friable, they have permitted macroscopical osteologic analysis that revealed the primary burial of a female individual, with non evident pathological signs, except for some dental caries, compatible to the subsistence strategy postulated for the group she belonged to. Cross-examination with research data from other sites allows us to assume the existence of an uniform mortuary program in that area, characterized by the presence of a mortuary um with a lid and the associated painted bowls. Although the primary burial inside the um has been confirmed, the absence of skeletal vestiges capable of being analyzed in similar sites does not allow us to establish this practice as exclusive in the area. It will take new discoveries to clarify this issue.