PAULO CÉSAR NASCIMENTO

UA sunken treasure off the Brazilian coast is slowly being revealed. Information about remains that constitute an invaluable cultural heritage for historical knowledge is emerging from the bottom of the waters thanks to the pioneering efforts of archaeologists from the Center for Strategic Studies (NEE) at Unicamp. In Brazil, they are part of the first Center for Studies in Nautical and Underwater Archeology (Ceans), a specialty of traditional archeology that uses techniques similar to surface research to locate and study artifacts that are submerged in seas, rivers and lakes. Although they are still in their infancy, the results provided by the team's actions are contributing to the emergence of a Brazil that is still unknown.

“Unique information about our history, made up of material testimonies of human activities from different eras and cultures, is still hidden by water. With a coastline that stretches for more than 8.500 kilometers and inland waters that represent one of the largest river networks in the world, we have, in the country, a very privileged field for underwater archeology”, argues archaeologist and anthropologist Pedro Funari, associate coordinator of NEE , responsible for creating Ceans.

According to him, underwater research provides relevant information to studies on national sovereignty and territorial defense developed by the NEE, such as, for example, the project that studies the occupation and defense strategies of the southern coast of Rio de Janeiro in the 17th and 18th centuries, from of an analysis of the fortification network in Ilha Grande Bay.

The place, where French and Dutch ships, privateer vessels and slave ships docked, was one of the main points for both the flow of coffee and the entry of African slaves, legally and illegally, and where gold was also smuggled.

Time capsules – The feverish activity on the Brazilian coast, during the European occupation, occurred in the historical context of great navigation and left submerged traces that portray life on board the vessels that made epic ocean crossings.

But to extract a large arsenal of information about society at the time, underwater archaeologists do not always need to dive to great depths and penetrate some of the approximately 3.000 ships that are estimated to be sunk off the Brazilian coast.

The objects that interest researchers can often be trapped in the marine silt of port regions, at depths of less than 15 meters, and are much more prosaic, but no less valuable from a historical point of view, than the coveted cargoes of precious metals in sunken galleons – an image to which underwater exploration is commonly related.

Personal objects discarded by travelers, abandoned or accidentally lost goods, sacred images, porcelain, cutlery and drink bottles are material remains from the vessels' routine activities and allow archaeologists to reconstruct customs, traditions and economic aspects of the period studied, in addition to providing clues about the social position of browsers.

“Shipwrecks are like real time capsules. Once sunk and lost at the bottom of the sea, these submerged archaeological sites undergo fewer changes and disturbances, leaving the researcher with a set of extremely well-preserved ancient objects”, defines historian and underwater archaeologist Gilson Rambelli, researcher at Ceans.

Withdrawals – Funded by research funding bodies, such as Fapesp and CNPq, by companies and NGOs, the group is mapping archaeological sites (places where there are material testimonies of human activities) in different submerged areas in the national territory. Internationally recognized by Icomos (International Council of Monuments and Sites), a UNESCO advisory body for monuments and sites, the activity extends across the entire coast.

Unicamp researchers are also studying sambaqui-type sites, found on the coast from Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul. Built by people who fed on fishing and collecting molluscs around 6.000 years ago, they are basically made up of shells, bones of fish and mammals.

And as underwater archeology does not only investigate what is covered by sea water, there are also studies in submerged areas in the Amazon and in the interior of São Paulo. In this case, the object of interest is a historic mill submerged by the waters of a dam, in the region of Ourinhos.

In addition to revealing the historical wealth under water, the research brought to light a worrying observation: the risks that threaten Brazilian underwater cultural heritage with extinction.

“History is being destroyed before it is even known,” warns intern Randal Fonseca. “Supported by weak legislation, which does not protect submerged heritage as it does with terrestrial heritage, adventurers and groups with commercial interests are looting and vandalizing shipwrecks without any mapping or excavation methodology.”

For Rambelli, the creation of a detailed Archaeological Map will allow us to better understand the submerged national heritage, and thus create mechanisms for managing and protecting the sites for future generations.

Public Archeology

In another pioneering initiative, NEE created the first research area in “Strategies in Public Archeology” in Brazil, to stimulate actions in a field that, according to Pedro Funari, is quite developed in European countries. Through it, different dissemination, valorization, preservation and heritage education activities are being carried out that aim to demystify the traditional concept of archeology as a science concerned only with the recovery and study of ancient artifacts, to place it at the service of preservation needs of the historical and cultural heritage of contemporary communities. “These are works in which academic knowledge results in very practical benefits for society and reveal the face of archeology's social responsibility”, argues researcher Erika Robrahn González. “It’s about showing that heritage is a public asset and, therefore, should be an object of interest, study and conservation by the community and not just archaeological groups.” She says that public archeology interventions help to show people that the cultural heritage of a given community integrates their individual histories. Rescuing and preserving it therefore means keeping their own identities alive. “They rarely have this perception, but when they incorporate it, they start to feel part of history and understand the importance of preserving heritage”, explains the archaeologist. The projects were developed during archaeological studies carried out by Erika and Funari in different regions of the country, to comply with legislation that requires archaeological research in environmental impact reports. In the municipality of Peixe, in the south of the state of Tocantins, she took advantage of work she was carrying out during the construction of a hydroelectric plant to teach principles of archeology to 1.780 primary and secondary school students from four public schools in the city. Teachers were trained and students, assisted by archaeologists and teachers, participated in a week of theoretical and practical classes aimed at discovering and valuing the local historical and cultural heritage, through tours, organization of archaeological sites, simulation of excavations and of making replicas of ceramic items typical of regional culture. Partnerships – In addition to the educational contribution, there is another, more strategic contribution, which shows great promise for public archeology in Brazil, explains Erika: acting as a partner with public bodies and companies in the management of preservation projects, offering guidance and subsidies even for public and political decision-making in the area. This is what happened in Mogi-Mirim (SP), where a 9.500-year-old archaeological site, considered the oldest in the state, was discovered during road works. After the academic research, the planned public archeology activities are being carried out, involving everything from publicity and heritage education actions (such as lectures for the community, a permanent exhibition, the publication of a didactic booklet and a scientific magazine) to the carrying out of a seminar for the City Hall, with the purpose of providing subsidies and training for the management and preservation of its cultural heritage. “The find showed a cultural richness previously unknown in the city. The City Hall was keen to carry out inspections and other procedures so that the city's development does not fail to take into account the need to preserve its heritage,” he declared. The implementation of the first Brazilian archaeological reserve in Ribeirão Grande (SP) and the design of a cultural circuit to allow the visitation of around thirty historical assets in urban areas, along the 32 kilometers of the western stretch of the ring road in the Greater São Paulo region , in partnership with Dersa (the company that manages the highway), are other “cases” developed by Unicamp’s NEE that will allow the country to even provide input for discussion in international forums to expand and strengthen public and social actions in the practice of Archeology.

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