THE USE OF ROCK SHELTERS ON THE COAST AND MOUNTAINS
OF THE SEA IN THE STATE OF PARANÁ
Patrícia Norma Lasota Moro (PPGAA-UFPR. [email protected])
Laercio Loiola Brochier (PPGAA-UFPR.
[email protected])
Antônio Carlos Mathias Cavalheiro (EPPC.
[email protected])
Elói Bora (EPPC.
[email protected])
Introduction.
This paper deals with the precolonial and historical use of crystalline rock shelters found in
coastal and mountainous areas of the Paraná coast. The related geological and formative
processes and the types of archaeological sites identified to date are discussed.
For this study, archaeological, geomorphological and speleological bibliographies were
collected in order to understand the genesis of crystalline cavities and the formation of
archaeological deposits. Field work was also carried out to make preliminary topographical and
geoarchaeological studies of the shelters and their surroundings.
Crystalline cave formation
The morphology of crystalline shelters is linked to the regional geomorphologic history and
mountain topography (MOCHIUTTI and TOMAZZOLI, 2019) and can be understood from two
perspectives. The first considers that shelters and lapas are the result of the displacement and
stacking of rocks on steep slopes subject to creep and sliding processes. They are generally
associated with talus deposits or alluvial plains and colluvial ramps. Depending on the type of
talus (TUPINAMBÁ et al. 2014), the blocks are rounded by the action of weathering (spheroidal
exfoliation), erosion and transport. The cavities are formed in the spaces between the blocks
and joints, evolving from the system of compositional diaclases or lineaments. A second
proposal is that the shelters are generated in their places of origin by weathering and erosion
(ÁVILA et al., 2019; GONÇALVES et al., 2011), including the processes of dissolution and
weathering of the caves (BIGARELLA, et al., 2007). Kuchenbecker (2019) relates the geometry
of shelters, including archaeological sites, as a reflection of the interaction between surface
processes, composition, and lithological structuring, resulting in relief forms suitable for
anthropic use.
Shelters on the coast of Paraná
The slopes of the coastal interface on the coast of Paraná have the potential to form crystalline
shelters, some of which are suitable for human use. Coastal evolutionary processes led to the
genesis of the shelters and the formation of the archaeological record. Eustatic and geographic
changes probably had consequences for human occupation and mobility in the Holocene. The
Cubatão shelter, one of the focal points of this research, is located in a probable Sambaqui
circulation corridor formed during the Transgressive Maximum (OLIVEIRA and HORN FILHO,
2001). The presence of an alluvial plain overlying ancient paleostuarine sediments also indicates
important geomorphic changes (BESSA et al., 1997; BROCHIER, 2009). Thus, the presence of
sedimentary deposits preserved by the slope fall in this shelter suggests good conditions for the
preservation of stratigraphic and cultural sequences. Pre-colonial ceramics and lithics have been
recorded on the surface. Two large overlapping cliffs form the shelter, with dimensions of
approximately 12 x 5 meters and 1 to 5 meters high. The shelters of Ilha Gamelas I, II and III,
located on the island of the same name in Guaraqueçaba, have shell, bone, lithic and historical
ceramic remains on the surface. They are located in the eastern part of the island, between 6
and 35 m from the coast, near bays and shores of gneissic-migmatitic rocks. Their internal
dimensions vary from 3.7 x 3.5 m to 13 x 6 m and their height from 1 to 6 m. The caves are
formed by stacked tabular rocks near springs.
Final considerations
In this study, investigations have been carried out that have allowed us to understand the
processes that form crystalline cavities on the coast of Paraná, their occurrence and the
archaeological potential associated with them. Although at an early stage, the research points
to the existence of two promising contexts: 1) in the system of islands and hills, generally
associated with rocky coasts; 2) on the slopes of Serra do Mar, next to deposits of talus and
alluvial fans. Finally, this study points to the importance of crystalline shelters in understanding
the occupational dynamics and mobility of human groups on the coast, representing different
forms of use from those already widely recognized on the coast of Paraná.
Paper presented at the Congress of the Brazilian Archaeological Society - SAB - Florianópolis,
November 13-18, 2023.
