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

• 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
• ISSN: 0305-4403; 1095-9238
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2013.02.019

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.