An ictiological collection from fisheries activity by the Awá-Guajá society of the state of Maranhão

Abstract

The Awá-Guajá represent one of the last hunter-gatherer societies in the world and, currently, live in indigenous reserves in the northwest of the State of Maranhão, Brazil. The “Guajá Ethnographic Collection” is a collection of fauna remains from an excavation of the “dumps” of this society accumulated over three years, from 1987 to 1990. The osteological material collected includes a large quantity of terrestrial vertebrates and fish remains; the latter are the result of fishing activities by that group. Observing that the Awá-Guajá had little or no clear predilection for a given species, the material collected can add important ecological and biodiversity information from the Amazon of the time. In addition, because it is a traditional community, the knowledge obtained may help to clarify ichthyological deposits in ancient archaeological sites found in the interior of Brazil and close to river systems.