Settlement Strategies: An analisys on the Rincão dos Albinos archaeological site, highlands of Santa Catarina - Brazil

Abstract

This study aims to present a proposal for interpretation of the process of formation of the archaeological site Rincão dos Albinos, drawn from results obtained through archaeological excavations and cartographic analysis. Such archaeological site is located in the city of São José do Cerrito, southern highlands of Santa Catarina, and consists of 107 pit-houses of various sizes, grouped in two main cores and occupying a total area of, approximately, 6 hectares. By the archaeological excavations, mainly by the stratigraphic and chronological data, were obtained partials informations about the site formation process, that, as suggested by the obtained dates, begins 1400 years AP and extends up to 800 years BP.During this occupation, settlement strategies and use of space were developed and, by land surveying, it was possible to identify elements that allow us to infer the existence of variables that interfere in the choice of builders of pit-houses in relation to their location and dispersal.