Radiocarbon Dating Sites of Itaparica Dam, São Francisco River Valley, Brazil

Abstract

This paper reports radiocarbon dates of samples from archaeological sites in the Itaparica Dam region of the São Francisco River (Brazil). This region is important due to the evidence of its use by several prehistoric groups of hunter-gatherers. In the 1980s, a Brazilian state hydroelectric company (CHESF) engaged the federal universities of Bahia and Pernambuco to perform an archaeological rescue excavation at the Itaparica Dam reservoir area. This excavation allowed the collection of a large number of ceramics and lithic artifacts as well as fireplace charcoal. In this study, fireplace charcoal samples from the Bahia State riverside of the Itaparica Dam were selected and used for dating purposes. The 14C ages were between 3840 and 210 BP, and the values of δ13C range from −22.93 to −24.81%. The 14C dates, in addition to the archaeological findings, indicate that the presence of humans in the region was contemporary with the intermediate levels of older sites found in the adjacent area, and also indicate different settlement periods.