Village size and permanence in Amazonia: Two archaeological examples from Brazil

Recent archaeological investigations along the lower Negro and upper Xingu Rivers in the Brazilian Amazon provide important new evidence bearing on lo ng-standing debates about the size and permanence of Amerindian settlements in the region. Preliminary regional surveys and more in-depth study of sel ected large (30-50 ha) sites, particularly analyses of the associations bet ween structural features, anthropologically altered soils, and artifact dis tributions, lead us to conclude that large, permanent settlements, likely a ssociated with fairly dense regional populations, existed prehistorically i n both areas. These findings cast doubt on the view that environmental limi tations prevented sedentism and demographic growth among Amerindian populat ions throughout much or all of the region. Specifically, we conclude that f ully sedentary and relatively large populations emerged in a variety of Ama zonian settings prehistorically, not necessarily correlated with the distri bution of one or another narrowly defined ecological variable (e.g., high f ertility soils). Thus, a critical evaluation of core concepts in Amazonian anthropology, such as the varzea/terra firme dichotomy or tropical forest c ulture, is advised.