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Notícia de pesquisa em andamento

536 Amazônica 1 (2): 536-547, 2009 Notícia de pesquisa Notíciaem andamento / Current de pesquisaResearch em andamento

c h r i s t o p h e r d a v i s

University of Illinois, Chicago, USA

Amazônica 1 (2): 536-547, 2009 537 Davis C.

Archaeoastronomy at Monte Alegre, created by an Indian woman from the Pará: a Research Problem and Research Indian village of Surubiju near Serra da Strategy Lua, he did not write on the art of the The current research being conducted Serra (Agassiz 1868:167,361-4). In 1870- in Monte Alegre in the state of Pará 1871 the geologist Charles Frederick (Fig. 1) examines painted images that Hartt, who was part of Agassiz’s previ- have long been believed to have astro- ous group, returned with the Morgan nomical significance. sites in expedition, whence he recorded the rock Brazil are beginning to gain more at- art at Serra do Ereré in more detail. His tention as more research is being con- description of many of the images led ducted at popular tourist sites such him to the conclusion that “the most im- as the paintings at Serra portant among these appear to be repre- da Capivara in Piaui, the sentations of the sun, , and stars” at Campeche in Santa Catarina. Al- (Hartt 1871:142). Hartt further explains, though many images depicting nature, “I think that these figures point to a wor- , or geometric shapes are con- ship of the sun by the tribes which ex- sistently found at archaeological sites ecuted them . . . and in the vicinity of throughout Brazil, the plethora of ce- the rock tower at Ereré, seems to me that lestial images at Monte Alegre is what those places had something of a sacred distinguishes its unique character from character and were often resorted to” other known sites thus far in South (Hartt 1871:147). America. Among the most intriguing Shortly thereafter, Hartt became an in- finds include a panel of images that tegral figure of the Brazilian Geological possibly depict a solar at Serra Commission, initializing several other da Lua (Fig. 1b), as as distinct solar expeditions through the region to char- images facing the summer and winter acterize the geological formations of (Fig. 4a,b), all in Serra do Er- the Serras (Hartt 1896). Herbert Smith eré; and a grid-like image possibly rep- conducted one such expedition to ex- resentative of an early lunar at plore the Curupatuba drainage system Painel do Pilão in Serra da Paituna. which feeds into the Amazon River at The earliest written mention of rock Monte Alegre. Through Smith’s exploits, art at Monte Alegre was by the English he described the Indians in the village naturalist Alfred Wallace in 1849, who, of Ereré, commented on the endur- in search of paintings, encountered ance of some of their traditions (Smith and sketched images at Serra da Lua and 1879:346,371-97), and summarized some an unidentified location near Pedra do of the regional myths heard by previous Pilão, seemingly Painel do Pilão (Wallace explorers, including the Tupi belief that 1889:103-5). A team led by Louis Agas- all things were created by either the sun siz traveled through the area in 1865, or moon or a third water deity (Smith and although Agassiz wrote on the pro- 1879:586,541-87). In 1924, Curt Nimu- cess of making paint and resin for cuias endaju copied paintings at Serra da Lua

538 Amazônica 1 (2): 536-547, 2009 Notícias de pesquisas em andamento and Serra do Sol in Ereré, and paint- made the reasonable conclusion that ings at Gruta do Pilão (Pedra Pintada) much of the Rock Art was created in the in Serra da Paituna (Pereira 2004). More Late Pleistocene. recent archaeological expeditions were My current research, which began in conducted in 1984 by the Grupo Es- 2008, measures the astronomical align- peleógico do Pará (Silveira, Pinheiro, ments of the images and their possible and Pinheiro 1984) and in 1986 by the interrelated meanings. This is first done Uruguay archaeologist Mario Consens, by establishing and maintaining con- who assessed the archaeological poten- sistent definitions of images/motifs to tial of the region (Consens 1989). In their cosmic representatives. Next, the 1996 and 2003 Edithe Pereira contrib- relative positions of the artistic images uted further significant discoveries and are referenced with the celestial posi- descriptions of images in the 14 differ- tions of their cosmic counterparts, bas- ent archaeological sites, and the most ing the theoretical assumption on the systematic and complete catalogue of notion that Paleoindians depicted imag- the Rock Art in the Monte Alegre re- es onto the rock surface directly facing gion to (Pereira 2004). or directly below the position of their In 1991/92 the first stratigraphic research celestial counterparts (Krupp 1983:41, was conducted at Caverna da Pedra Pin- Hudson 1982). Exact coordinates of tada by Anna Roosevelt and her team the images are established by careful (Roosevelt et al. 1996). The Roosevelt hand measurements and the angles be- excavations yielded paint drops and tween one image and the other using lumps of in stratigraphic lay- tape-measures and protractors. Addi- ers dated between 11,200 and 10,500 tionally the images are photographed ago by 53 dates on plant remains using the Gigapan robot to take fine- and sediment associated with Paleoin- detailed panoramas that are canvassed dian artifacts, black soil, and other food on a grid using MapViewer software. remains. The deposited paint samples The measured images help to properly were chemically consistent with that of align the panoramic photos to an accu- the painted walls above the excavation. rate grid, allowing the rock surface to be Further supportive evidence included mapped onto a digital screen. some paintings located low on the wall Furthermore, the perspective of the sky surface today, which would have been at from the earth appears to rotate and ce- a more optimal viewing level in relation lestial bodies change position through to the Late Pleistocene cave floor before , the computer program-Starry- the subsequent layering of Night™- is used to observe the ancient sediment. (Roosevelt et al. 1996:376-9, sky where celestial bodies were posi- Roosevelt 1999:26, Roosevelt, Doug- tioned in the . Using these methods las, and Brown 2002:190-2). Since only I have so far achieved some success one pigment fragment was found in the correlating the possible depiction of a subsequent Holocene layers, Roosevelt to three possible dates in

Amazônica 1 (2): 536-547, 2009 539 Davis C.

when an eclipse took place ei- size. Where they appear in panels, they ther directly in front of, or directly be- have a perspective that seems to be low the artistic image (see Fig. 2a,b,c). high in the sky, and thus they possibly In addition to unique cosmic events represent the high -sun (Fig. 3c,d). such as , I have also investigated The significance of rayed discs being the position of images as demarcations smaller in size was perhaps purposeful, of annual celestial events. For example, as this is a true aberration that occurs the first potential sun disc image at Serra when viewing the sun. Although it al- da Lua is the southernmost disc image ways maintains the same arc width, the and appears to be facing the direction of sun (as does the moon) appears to be the winter when the sun sets at larger but less intense when it is closer its southernmost point on the horizon to the horizon, and of course it appears (Fig. 4a). This significance is perhaps redder. Hence, we have the larger, red- emphasized by a pedestal image located dominant disc images representing the directly below the disc. The last disc im- setting sun, and the smaller rayed-discs age is the largest disc image (~ 1meter representing the daytime sun. diameter) located at the northernmost By analyzing images within the context point at Serra do Sol (Fig. 4b) and is fac- of a panel, we can gain a greater rela- ing the direction of the summer solstice tional understanding and implication for when the sun sets at its northernmost a given image. The implied significance point on the horizon. is then applied to areas where the image Neither of these disc images are rayed appears alone. This method allows for but they are concentric and most likely a consistent analysis of images between signify the sun, not the moon as sur- the different sites at Monte Alegre. Us- mised by Hartt. The path of the moon ing this method we can say with more wanders a bit further in the sky than certainty that the majority of disc im- the sun and therefore does not fall in ages, whether rayed or not, most likely alignment with the paintings as the sun represent the different intensities of the does. Additionally, the position and sun. The moon, in contrast, is signifi- time of day that the moon sets changes cantly less represented. daily, and Serra da Lua lacks clearly dis- The difference in intensity and size of cernible images of the moon’s differ- the sun also appears in the myths of ent phases. Furthermore, the sun can many native tribes in the region north, appear to form a halo when its light south, and west of the Amazon (for shines through clouds very high in the example Reichel-Dolmatoff 1996:32). atmosphere that contain ice crystals. Interestingly, the myths of the sun and The observed effect has the appear- moon are typically the earliest myths in ance of concentric circles and red is terms of cosmological order (Civrieux often the prominent color (Fig 3a,b). 1980:19-32, Reichel-Dolmatoff 1971:24, Rayed disc images probably also signify Roth 1915:254, Wilbert and Simoneau the sun but they are usually smaller in 1987:32-73). We don’t know when the

540 Amazônica 1 (2): 536-547, 2009 Notícias de pesquisas em andamento myths first originated but they speak of Plans for research, which re- the earliest creation , often before sumes in the autumn of 2009, consists people, when the Sun and Moon were of conducting test pit sampling and hunters roaming the world in search of excavation at the base of three loca- food and other adventures(Villas Boas tions where images are positioned very and Villas Boas 1970:57-93). Most tribes low on the rock-wall in relation to the near the Amazon region have myths de- current floor, and perhaps where more tailing a long period of darkness and re- images are currently submerged by late eclipses to fights between the sun and more recent stratigraphic layers. Two moon (Wilbert and Simoneau 1987:94, of these locations are at Serra da Lua, also revisit Smith 1879:392). Some myths and the third is at Gruta 15 de Março. along the Xingu River say the Sun was Excavations at these locations will pro- killed, casting the world in a period of vide further evidence to check the Ter- darkness, and the Sun’s three sons re- minal Late Pleistocene date obtained sume the responsibilities of the father by Roosevelt at Pedra Pintada in 1992, Sun. None of the sons can do the entire further pinpoint the date of the eclipse task alone, but each endure the heat and , and possibly reveal additional light of the sun at different times of the images created by the ancient inhabit- day or when it is at different intensities ants at this important Paleoindian site. (Villas Boas and Villas Boas 1970:94-7).

Figure 1a - Research Area, Monte Alegre, showing Amazon River to the east and south

Amazônica 1 (2): 536-547, 2009 541 Davis, C.

Figure 1b - Serra da Lua from afar- taken from the peak of Serra do Bode. (Photographed by Christopher Davis)

Figure 2a - Possible solar eclipse images; actually two sets, the personified forms to the left and the yellow and red discs to the right. (Photographed by Leonard Grala)

542 Amazônica 1 (2): 536-547, 2009 Notícias de pesquisas em andamento

Figure 2b - Another possible solar eclipse image; located near 2a at Serra da Lua, this image appears to be intentionally lacking a spot of red paint on the left side where the natural rock also appears to be missing a piece. It is universally common for rock art to be applied at a specific location in order to enhance the of the rock surface. Alternatively this image might depict a phase of the moon, but as such, neither accurately portraits the correct orien- tation of a gibbous moon, nor the correct proportion of a moon. (Photographed by Christopher Davis).

Figure 2c - Possible eclipse dates as seen using StarryNight software at Serra da Lua. These images depict how the solar eclipse would have looked from in front of the painted images (2a) at Serra da Lua during the dates indicated in the past.

Amazônica 1 (2): 536-547, 2009 543 Davis, C.

Figure 3a - Sun halo observed over Mirante. A sun halo is a meteorological effect occurring when the sun shines through clouds containing ice crystals really high in the atmosphere. This effect can be rare is some regions but common in others, depending on cloud formation patterns. (Photographed by Carmen Trindade)

Figure 3b - Painted sun halo image at Serra da Lua using red and yellow concentric circles. (Photographed by Christopher Davis)

544 Amazônica 1 (2): 536-547, 2009 Notícias de pesquisas em andamento

Figure 3c - Sunray and halo observed at Monte Verde, Colorado summer 2008. A hawk is also in the photo. (Photographed by Christopher Davis)

Fig 3d - Painted sun image at Serra da Lua, showing halo and sunray. (Photographed by Christopher Davis)

Amazônica 1 (2): 536-547, 2009 545 Davis, C.

Figure 4a - Painted winter solstice image: setting sun on pedestal, above is high daytime-sun image. (Photo- graphed by Christopher Davis)

Figure 4b - Painted summer solstice image: largest known sun image at Ererê. (Photographed by Christopher Davis)

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