They are huge mountains erected in bays, beaches or at the mouth of large rivers by people who inhabited the coast of Brazil in prehistory. They are formed mainly by shells of molluscs – the very Tupi origin of the word sambaqui means “heap of shells”. But these elevations also contain mammal bones, primitive fishing equipment and even art objects, in a veritable prehistoric archive. Archaeologists estimate that there are thousands of shell middens scattered along the country’s coast. The oldest were born about 6,500 years ago.
It is not known for sure what led our ancestors to build these curious mountains. For a long time, it was thought that they were formed only by food scraps, a kind of prehistoric garbage can. But a more detailed investigation revealed that, in addition to traces of food, there were many skeletons in the middens, leading experts to believe that a good part of them were also cemeteries.
The size of the elevations also shows that the sambaquis served as monuments to identify the group that inhabited a certain region. By studying these constructions, researchers manage to assemble a portrait of prehistoric men on the Brazilian coast. “The remains of fish and shellfish indicate that they were fishermen and gatherers. And, as certain shell mounds were built over a thousand years, we discovered that most groups were sedentary and not nomadic, as previously thought,” says archaeologist Paulo DeBlasis, from the University of São Paulo (USP).
Deciphering the fate of these communities is still a challenge. They were probably eliminated or mixed with the Tupi-Guarani cultures that advanced from the north and south of the country towards the coast around the beginning of the Christian era. Uncertainties remain, largely because many shell mounds have been destroyed or are in a poor state of conservation.
“Since the 16th century, shell layers have been removed to make lime. The devastation worsened with the opening of roads and the growth of coastal cities from the 1960s onwards”, says Paulo.
mountain with history
Site holds 6,500-year-old archaeological remains
BANQUET AND CARIES
Remains of bonfires and food indicate that the sambaquieiros’ diet came mainly from the sea. Some communities already cultivated vegetables, which brought an unexpected problem: in shell mound corpses in Rio de Janeiro, the high incidence of caries may be related to excessive consumption of cassava.
ORGANIC FERTILIZER
Today, most sambaquis appear covered by a layer of plants. Calcium from shells buried for thousands of years serves as an important nutrient for plants, favoring their fixation in place.
ANCESTRAL ABILITY
The dexterity of the sambaquieiros was recorded in the zoolites, stone sculptures representing more than two hundred animals and geometric figures. In some cases, the artisans put so much effort into the images of fish that it is even possible to recognize the species represented.
BONES OF THE TRADE
The robust bones of the skeletons found reveal some constant physical activity – probably fishing. Among the buried bodies, certain skeletons appear covered with red dye or with various sculptures beside them. They could be the leaders of the pack, as this special ritual indicates some kind of hierarchy.
FISHING ARSENAL
Fish thorns, ray spurs, monkey and wild boar bones were sharpened to become harpoons and fishing spears. The presence of bones of ferocious predators, such as sharks, shows that prehistoric men were expert and courageous fishermen.
vertical cemetery
More than 40,000 bodies have already been found in a sambaqui
1. The shell mounds that hold the remains of the dead began to grow when the first graves were dug in the sand on the beach. Traces of offerings, remains of bonfires and food indicate that some kind of ritual preceded the burial.
2. Around the pits, archaeologists found a large number of pile holes. These are clues that a wooden structure, now decomposed, demarcated the place where the dead man was, in a kind of tomb.
3. After a few decades, when the new generations of sambaquieiros no longer had a sentimental connection with the dead buried dozens of years before, shells and fish bones were thrown over the graves. This thick layer, up to 60 centimeters thick, served as the basis for a new batch of burials.
4. The sambaqui grew with the repetition of funeral ceremonies for up to a thousand years. Today, some mountains exceed 30 meters in height, with hundreds of layers of skeletons and shells. In a sambaqui in the south of Santa Catarina there are more than 43 thousand corpses