Human occupation in South America by 20,000 BC: the Toca da Tira Peia site, Piauí, Brazil

When and how did the first human beings settle in the American continent? Numerous data, from archaeological researches as well as from palaeogenetics, anthropological and environmental studies, have led to partially contradictory interpretations in recent years, often because of the lack of a relia...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of archaeological science Vol. 40; no. 6; pp. 2840 - 2847
Main Authors:	Lahaye, Christelle, Hernandez, Marion, Boëda, Eric, Felice, Gisele D., Guidon, Niède, Hoeltz, Sirlei, Lourdeau, Antoine, Pagli, Marina, Pessis, Anne-Marie, Rasse, Michel, Viana, Sibeli
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-06-2013 Elsevier
Subjects:	America and Arctic regions Archaeology and Prehistory Brazil Dating Excavation and methods First peopling in America Humanities and Social Sciences Laboratory methods Luminescence Methodology and general studies Optically stimulated luminescence dating Prehistory and protohistory South America Toca da Tira Peia South America Brazil America Optically stimulated luminescence dating Brazil Toca da Tira Peia Luminescence First peopling in America Populating Optoluminescence Dating Archaeological site
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Summary:	When and how did the first human beings settle in the American continent? Numerous data, from archaeological researches as well as from palaeogenetics, anthropological and environmental studies, have led to partially contradictory interpretations in recent years, often because of the lack of a reliable chronological framework. The present study contributes to the establishment of such a framework using luminescence techniques to date a Brazilian archaeological site, the Toca da Tira Peia. It constitutes an exemplary case study: all our observations and measurements tend to prove the good integrity of the site and the anthropological nature of the artifacts and we are confident in the accuracy of the luminescence dating results. All these points underline the importance of the Toca da Tira Peia. The results bring new pieces of evidence of a human presence in the north-east of Brazil as early as 20,000 BC. The Toca da Tira Peia thus contributes to the rewriting of the history of the peopling of the American continent. ► The Toca da Tira Peia Rockshelter is a Brazilian archaeological site (Piauí). ► All observations and data lead us to conclude that the artifacts are truly cultural. ► OSL dating has been performed on the sediments. ► The results bring new evidence of a human presence in Brazil as early as 20,000 BC.
ISSN:	0305-4403 1095-9238
DOI:	10.1016/j.jas.2013.02.019