Análise e classificação das rodelas-de-fuso do acervo arqueológico do DCH/MPEG

Abstract

The archaeological collection of the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi has been restructured since 1993 through the project Reorganization and Documentation of the Archaeological Collection. Its general objective is to modernize the documentation system of the collection and to encourage the study of collections that have not yet been researched. It was in this context that the proposal for the analysis of the spindle wheels arose. There are few studies on these artifacts, which are considered the main evidence of the existence and mastery of spinning and weaving by prehistoric peoples of the Amazon region. The objective of the research was to carry out the analysis, classification and description of these artifacts and to establish the possible relationship between the archeological and ethnographic material. The geographical areas of occurrence of these objects were the States of Pará, Amazonas and Amapá. The proposed work was carried out in two stages: the first consisted of a bibliographical survey on the use of spindle wheels in current indigenous groups and the second in the analysis of the objects in the laboratory using a binocular magnifying glass, measuring devices and detailed observation of each object. A total of 127 spindle slices, whole and fragmented, were analyzed. The analysis included the identification of the raw material, the additive, the shapes, the surface treatment, and the measurement of the objects. By comparing the artifacts used by present-day groups with the archaeological material, it was possible to compare the raw materials used, to verify the geographic distribution of the material in the two periods, and also to understand the function of the object in the spinning equipment. The laboratory analysis allowed us to identify raw materials of animal, vegetable, and mineral origin in the making of the spindle wheels. The presence of additives of animal, vegetal and mineral origin was observed in the ceramic objects. Nine different shapes were identified. In the surface treatment there is a predominance of objects without decoration and when this occurs it is marked by incisions. Among the spindle wheels from different origins, especially those from Pará - specifically from Santarém and Marajó - differences in shape, raw material and manufacture were observed, demonstrating the existence of variety according to the region of origin.