Interação entre etnobiologia e zooarqueologia nos estudos sobre bichos de casco da várzea do Baixo Amazonas

Abstract

Chelonians, popularly known as "hoofed animals", represent a group that is highly appreciated in the Amazonian cuisine, besides their ecological, historical, and cultural relevance. Ethnobiological studies on the use of hoofed animals in Amazonian communities have become significant in recent years, but there are still no specific studies on chelonians in archeological sites. It is worth mentioning that the inclusion of zoological themes in ethnobiological studies in contemporary riverside communities can contribute to interpretations of how animals were used in the past. Thus, this research aimed to understand the relationships between chelonians and the communities of the Aritapera floodplain, in the region of Santarém, focusing on the marks resulting from the preparation of these animals and the materiality produced from the chelonians in the daily lives of the communities. Additionally, the perception of young people regarding the relationship between the community and these animals was verified. Moreover, the research was carried out between September 2022 and May 2023 in the communities of Enseada do Aritapera, Centro do Aritapera, Carapanatuba and Água Preta, located in Baixo Amazonas, in Santarém (PA). With the help of a young woman from the community and a junior research fellow from the Água Preta community I carried out interviews with the residents of the four communities, in addition to a literature review on chelonians represented or present in Amazonian archeological sites. I verified that there is a strong presence of chelonian remains in Amazonian archeological sites as well as a strong representation of chelonians in archeological ceramics from the Lower Amazon region. In the study with the communities, I found relevant uses of the hooves as household utensils and decorative art. Through this reuse, one can observe a re-signification of a body part of the animal that could easily be discarded. The work with the young people of the communities conferred the collaborative character of the research, integrated the school in the academic actions, and encouraged juvenile protagonism by stimulating scientific initiation. This study contributed to the understanding of the long-term relationships between chelonians and human societies in the Amazon floodplain.