The perforated discs of the Tapajonic period: technological analysis and contextual issues

Abstract

The perforated discs from the municipality of Santarém-PA are unique objects within Amazonian material culture repertoire. They were sculpted on a variety of raw materials, however, the most elaborate were produced with fine grained, homogeneous iron oxides. Previously identified as spindle whorls, these often-fragmented artifacts are found in archaeological sites from the Tapajonic Period, from approximately from the 10th century until the present. Decorated with very fine lines, these discs display graphic motifs that are absent on Tapajonic ceramics. This article addresses the context of archaeological sites in Santarém through a study of such artifacts from a collection housed in the reserve of the UFOPA Archaeology Laboratory (the Juma Janaína collection), in addition to artifacts from other collections and publications. The discs were analyzed following the concept of the chaîne opératoire, considering the processes involved in raw material acquisition, sculpting techniques, uses, disposals and recycling of these items. By advancing beyond typological studies, this investigation demonstrates that substantial progress in the analyses of technologies and in the discussion of contexts have led to alternative interpretations and revised previous ones shaped by preconceived assumptions about the technological knowledge of ancient Amazonian groups.

Keywords
Tapajonic period; Perforated discs; Spindles whorls; Chaîne opératoire ; Networks of relationships