O papel dos estudos paleoetnobotânicos para a compreensão das relações humano-ambientais na Amazônia

Abstract

This research aimed to evaluate the contributions of paleotenobotanical research to the understanding of human-environmental relations in ancient Amazonia, through a Systematic Bibliographic Review of paleoethnobotanical data guided by the following questions: What is the incidence of paleoethnobotanical and archaeobotanical studies in archaeological research in the Amazon? How were human-environmental relations addressed in the studies found? And, were there traces of plants indicating human activities, such as palm trees? These questions that guide this work arise from problems seen in some of the results of the studies raised: there is still a reduced number of paleoethnobotanical/archaeobotanical studies compared to the archaeological scientific production in the Amazon, although they are growing and motivating new perspectives and questions; in addition, in the works that evidence human action in the Amazonian environment, some bring controversial and deterministic approaches that have generated great debates over time and research. The original societies modified the paleoenvironment in which they were inserted, even with its deterioration during the process of colonial and modern expansion with very harmful interventions and profound impacts, which contributed to the reduction of floristic variation. The methodology consisted of the (RBS “Roadmap”) Systematic Bibliographic Review. To this end, I used the theoretical-conceptual contribution of Historical Ecology, Long-Term Ecology and Long-Term Indigenous History, in addition to the anthropological/archaeological bibliography. From the reviewed archaeological studies, I brought theoretical and critical data and information, aiming to understand how these contributed to the discussions about human relations with the Amazonian environment and its transformations.