Fishing for “lucky stones”: Symbolic uses of otoliths in Brazilian shell sites

Abstract

Otoliths are concretions of aragonite located in fish neurocrania, also popularly known as “lucky stones”. These elements are commonly found in Brazilian shell mounds and middens, and have long been regarded as a by-product of food processing and consumption. Zooarchaeologists commonly use them to identify species, estimate age, quantify fish, and to discuss capture methods and seasonality of occupation, among other aspects of fish and human populations. My research at Jabuticabeira II, a cemetery site with large quantities of otoliths closely associated with burials, explores alternative uses of otoliths by past coastal populations that inhabited the southern Brazilian coast. I reviewed ethnographic and historical accounts of the use of otoliths to check distinct uses of these fish elements. I analyzed 9258 otoliths and 76,990 fish bones from Jabuticabeira II to identify patterns of fragmentation, thermal alteration, element representation and distribution across contexts. The results indicate that otoliths were deliberately placed in burials, pointing to the symbolic value of otoliths. This research reinforces the need to consider the non-economic uses of fish by pre-historic populations.