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Science 19 September 2003:
Vol. 301. no. 5640, pp. 1710 - 1714
DOI: 10.1126/science.1086112
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Reports

Amazonia 1492: Pristine Forest or Cultural Parkland?

Michael J. Heckenberger,1* Afukaka Kuikuro,4 Urissapá Tabata Kuikuro,4 J. Christian Russell,2 Morgan Schmidt,3 Carlos Fausto,5 Bruna Franchetto5

Archaeology and indigenous history of Native Amazonian peoples in the Upper Xingu region of Brazil reveal unexpectedly complex regional settlement patterns and large-scale transformations of local landscapes over the past millennium. Mapping and excavation of archaeological structures document pronounced human-induced alteration of the forest cover, particularly in relation to large, dense late-prehistoric settlements (circa 1200 to 1600 A.D.). The findings contribute to debates on human carrying capacity, population size and settlement patterns, anthropogenic impacts on the environment, and the importance of indigenous knowledge, as well as contributing to the pride of place of the native peoples in this part of the Amazon.

1 Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
2 Land-Use and Environmental Change Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
3 Department of Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
4 Associaçaão Indígena Kuikuro do Alto Xingu, Parque Indígena do Xingu, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
5 Department of Anthropology, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro 20940–040, Brazil.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mheckenb{at}anthro.ufl.edu

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Pre-Columbian Urbanism, Anthropogenic Landscapes, and the Future of the Amazon.
M. J. Heckenberger, J. C. Russell, C. Fausto, J. R. Toney, M. J. Schmidt, E. Pereira, B. Franchetto, and A. Kuikuro (2008)
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Impact of a drier Early-Mid-Holocene climate upon Amazonian forests.
F. E Mayle and M. J Power (2008)
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The legacy of cultural landscapes in the Brazilian Amazon: implications for biodiversity.
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Holocene fire and occupation in Amazonia: records from two lake districts.
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