Brazil

Universidade de São Paulo (BR)

Member of EXARC
No

The University of São Paulo (USP) (founded in 1827) is the biggest university in Brazil and the most prestigious in Latin America. The Laboratory for Human Evolutionary Studies (LEEH), leaded by Mercedes Okumura (since 2018), is run by the Institute of Biosciences and the only one in Latin America dedicated to the study of Human Biocultural Evolution.

Our research focus on the biocultural evolution of past human groups, mostly through the analysis of human skeletons, faunal remains, pottery, and stone tools. Currently, experimental archaeology is part of our main research projects, including the replication of stone and bone tools produced by ancient hunter-gatherer groups in the Americas, and by Paleolithic groups from Southern Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East. The replication of such tools aims to further understand the lithic and bone technology of the past, as well as to produce reference collections.

Art in the Serra: Project of Heritage Experiences in the Territory of the Serra Da Capivara National Park (BR)

Author(s)
Jorlan da Silva Oliveira 1
Publication Date
In 2013 a team of researchers in collaboration with the community in the municipality of Coronel José Dias, around Serra da Capivara National Park, Piauí-Brazil, created the Olho D 'Água Institute and since then has been developing research and didactic experiments with the communities. The project entitled Arte na Serra aims to engage communities...

Bringing Experimental Lithic Technology to Paleoamerican Brazilian Archaeology: Replication Studies on the Rioclarense and Garivaldinense Industries

Author(s)
João Carlos Moreno De Sousa 1
Publication Date

Introduction

Despite experimental archaeological approaches being well known in Brazilian archaeology since the 1970’s, it has rarely produced studies until the beginning of the 21th century. The first deep debate on the subject of experimental archaeology was provided by Miller Jr. (1975), specifically on the application of the approach to lithic technology using Corumbataí flint - typical raw material from the Rioclarense industry. In that occasion, Miller Jr.