Abstract
In this article we present the results of a series of analysis performed on a lithic artifact from the Itaparica industry, a limace, found in Lapa Grande de Taquaraçu, an archaeological site bordering the Lagoa Santa area in Central Brazil. The site was occupied between 11.477 ± 133 cal. BP and 1.087 ±78 cal. BP, and the archaeological record for this occupation is related to the archaeological Lagoa Santa Tradition. However, the artifact was found in deeper and relative older archaeological levels, in a different stratigraphy context. The technological analysis confirms its exotic nature, not corresponding to the Lagoa Santa industry, but to another Paleoindian archaeological tradition instead. Its technological features are similar to the limaces related to Itaparica Tradition lithic industries. It’s important to notice that this is the only limace found at Lagoa Santa until now, and archaeological context did not allow us to associate it to the Lagoa Santa Tradition. In order to have an insight on the use of this artifact we performed some technological and micro-remain analysis. Various starch grains and other materials were recovered from the active parts of the artifact. The microbotanical analysis indicated the use of the artifact for processing starchy plants. As far as we know, this is the most ancient evidence of the processing of starchy plants in the Americas.
Highlights
Lagoa Santa is a karstic zone located in central Brazil, 46 km from Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais State (Araujo & Oliveira 2010: 14)
Due to the variability noted in the different kind of grains found, the use of this artifact to process a variety of starchy vegetables could be inferred
This is reinforced by the fact that starch grains were found in the active parts of the artifact, but not in the proximal part and is further supported by some of the elements found in the sediments of the tool, such as vessel elements or raphides, not found in the control samples, which are consistent with what one might find associated with starchy vegetables
Summary
Lagoa Santa is a karstic zone located in central Brazil, 46 km from Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais State (Araujo & Oliveira 2010: 14). Innumerous sinks, dolinas, lapas, caves, grottes and rock shelters are contained within this region. Most of them house archeological sites whose findings have been the subjects of heated academic discussions. Lagoa Santa was put on the map in the 19th century through the work of the Danish naturalist Peter W. Lund, who explored nearly 200 caves; he was one of the first researchers. Journal of Lithic Studies (2016) vol 3, nr.
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