Lifestyle on the south coast of Brazil: considerations about shell mound (sambaqui) builders through bone and dental analysis

Estilo de vida no litoral sul do Brasil: considerações sobre os construtores de sambaquis por meio das análises ósseas e dentárias

Abstract

Sambaquis are a specific type of archaeological site found on the Brazilian coast that contain a large number of human burials and were constructed by progressively and intentionally accumulating shells and fish bones. Brazilian archaeologists have suggested that these groups comprised a stable system during their occupation of the coast, especially on the southern coast of Santa Catarina state. This study investigates whether the cultural continuity and stability in this region are also reflected in markers of physiological stress visible in bones and teeth, looking for three non-specific stress markers (porotic hyperostosis, cribra orbitalia, and linear enamel hypoplasia) in human skeletal remains from two sambaquis (Cabeçuda, n = 77 and Jabuticabeira II, n = 55, c. 3,200-1,500 years BP). The resulting data indicate that the individuals buried in these sambaquis were constantly exposed to stressful events during childhood, but physiological stress patterns changed over time, signaling biocultural variability among the groups despite similar material cultures and constructive aspects.

Keywords
Shell mounds; Bioarchaeology; Lifestyle; Non-specific stress markers