The Timing of Terra Preta Formation in the Central Amazon: Archaeological Data from Three Sites

We present here chronological data on the timing and rate of terra preta formation at three archaeological sites located near the confluence of the Negro and Solimoes Rivers, in the central Amazon of Brazil. We have been studying pre-Columbian indigenous archaeology in this area since 1995 within the framework of the Central Amazon Project (CAP) (e.g., Heckenberger et al. 1999; Neves 2000; Petersen et al. 2001). This research has identified more than 40 archaeological sites thus far, of which four (Acutuba, Osvaldo, Lago Grande, and Hatahara) have been tested and mapped in some detail (Fig. 9.1).