马拉若文化

The Marajoara or Marajó culture was an ancient pre-Cabraline era culture that flourished on Marajó island at the mouth of the Amazon River in northern Brazil. In a survey, Charles C. Mann suggests the culture appeared to flourish between 800 AD and 1400 AD, based on archeological studies. Researchers have documented that there was human activity at these sites as early as 1000 BC. The culture seems to have persisted into the colonial era.

Background

Archeologists have found sophisticated pottery in their excavations on the island. These pieces are large, and elaborately painted and incised with representations of plants and animals. These provided the first evidence that a complex society had existed on Marajó.……

Agriculture and economy

Plant remains on Marajo Island show a subsistence pattern that relied heavily on small seed crops, as well as small fish, which were either cultivated or protected by indigenous peoples. Many of the carbonized seed remains have not yet been identified, though they seem to be herbaceous and derived from local grasses.

Architecture

Many of the excavations on Marajo island have focused on the largest earthen mound sites. Smaller mounds and non-mound sites likely outnumber them.

Multi-level stratification of sites by size:

3 to 4 very large multi-mound sites such as Os Camutins with 40 mounds, or Fortaleza with 20. These housed several thousand people; e.g.……

Art and symbolism

The most common motif found in Marajoara iconography involves female imagery such as females as mythical ancestors, creators, cultural heroes, or females portrayed in shamanistic roles and with shamanistic power. These female motifs are typically found on ceramic artifacts, either pottery vessels or statues.

Artifacts

The people on Marajo produced many diverse artifacts such as pottery vessels (urns, jars, bottles, cups, bowls, plates, dishes), figurines, large statues, pubic covers, pendants, ear and lip jewelry, whistles, spindle whorls, and ceramic miniatures of axes, mashers, hammers, and other tools.……

Ceramics

The Marajoara art is a type of pottery produced by Indigenous peoples from the period of Marajoara occupation on the Brazilian island of Marajó, during Brazil's pre-colonial period from 400 to 1400 AD, and is thus called Marajoara ceramics, because there are successive phases of occupation in the region, each with its own distinctive pottery style.……

Leadership and inequality

Although some characteristics do point to stratification, the evidence regarding inequality and leadership is inconclusive as to whether it was gender or class-based, or whether it represented centralized rule.……

Religion and ideology

The belief system of the Marajo people is not wholly understood, though it almost certainly involved important female figures. Marajoara iconography and art portrays women with shamanistic powers and roles, consistent with societies that reckon descent through a mythical female ancestor.……

Death

The most common type of tomb is the burial urn. Grave goods typically include lithics and elaborate ceramics.

The skeletal remains were preserved very well in burial urns, which were covered with clayey soil.

Few female skeletons have been found yet.

Warfare and violence

While skeletal remains have not been analyzed for trauma patterns yet, they do show peculiar signs of muscle development that strongly suggest regular participation in warfare. The patterns of muscle development are similar to those in modern wrestlers, who practice and train specifically to wrestle.……

Collapse

Marajo Island is thought to have been occupied until shortly before European conquest, which puts the abandonment date around AD 1300.

Abandonment is determined by the fact that structures ceased to be repaired and maintained, and no further building occurred after this time. The factors causing the island to be abandoned have not yet been determined.