Construtores de cerritos na Laguna Dos Patos, Pontal da Barra, sul do Brasil: lugar persistente, território e ambiente construído no Holoceno recente.

In this paper we present the occupational history of the Pontal da Barra site, located within the estuary of the Patos lagoon in southern Brazil. The Pontal da Barra was occupied by a community of fishermen and earthen mound builders (Cerritos de Indios). From 2500 to 1800 BP the site was a temporary camp, became a permanent settlement between 1800 and 1200 BP, and was ultimately abandoned around 1000 BP. The occupational history is archaeologically visible in the increased architectural complexity of the mound structures and its surrounding areas, the management of soil within the mounds, and the multifunctional aspects of the monumental mounds. As part of a regional territory, the wetland of the Pontal da Barra became a meaningful place within the spatial domain of the mound builders. The site was systemically occupied for 1,500 years by agents of a long-term indigenous history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]