Holocene settlement, stratigraphy and chronology at the site of Uruguai 1-sector 1, Foz do Chapecó archaeological area, South Brazil

Abstract

Uruguai 1 is a recently discovered site in the Foz do Chapecó Archaeological Area, which contains an exceptional archaeological record, documenting the expansion of Homo sapiens in southern Brazil, within the Rio de la Plata basin. The aim of this paper is to present the results of field investigations within sector 1 of the site, providing a detailed description of the entire stratigraphic sequence that spans the Pleistocene-Holocene transition to the present day. The site comprises a variety of archaeological evidence including six archaeological levels (palaeosurfaces), evidenced by lithic tools, charcoal horizons, combustion features, small faunal remains and, for the youngest one, ceramic fragments. The overlapping of six archaeological levels in an open-air stratigraphic context is unprecedented in inland of southern Brazil and provides evidence for a long-term human presence in the area, which is of great archaeological importance in the southern part of South America..