Arsenic concentrations in soil profiles with archaeological black earth (ABE) and surroundings (SA) from the Sítio Ilha de Terra, Caxiuanã, in the State of Pará, Amazon region, may provide information on anthropogenic activity in the Amazonian habitat. The samples of ABE and SA soil profiles were submitted to chemical and mineralogical analysis. The obtained data show that Fe and As concentrations increase with depth while organic matter (OM) decreases. The highest concentrations of Fe and As are observed in the SA profile. These results indicate interactions between Fe and As and suggest that OM promotes the dissolution of goethite and leaching of Fe and As in the ABE profile.
Archaeological black earth; arsenic; Caxiuanã; State of Pará; Amazon region
