Moiety specific wood selection in funerary ritual for the southern proto-Jê
Robinson, M; Iriarte, J; De Souza, JG; et al.Marozzi, O; Scheel-Ybert, R
Date: 1 February 2017
Article
Journal
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
Publisher
Elsevier
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Identification of wood charcoal associated with earth ovens at a southern proto-Jê mortuary complex in Misiones, Argentina, are discussed in relation to a dual social structure. A distinct difference in form between the ovens in the east and west follow a pattern of asymmetry that manifests at multiple levels across the mortuary ...
Identification of wood charcoal associated with earth ovens at a southern proto-Jê mortuary complex in Misiones, Argentina, are discussed in relation to a dual social structure. A distinct difference in form between the ovens in the east and west follow a pattern of asymmetry that manifests at multiple levels across the mortuary landscape. The asymmetry reflects a dual social structure that is the precursor to the moiety system employed by modern Jê groups. In the moiety system all people, things, and phenomena are assigned to a moiety in an all-encompassing classificatory system. The identification of charcoal as Jacaranda sp. in the western earth ovens matches the moiety associations and suggests a specific use of resources within ritual determined by the dual social system. The results have implications for understanding southern proto-Jê social formation, ritual practice, and resource management, as well as providing a cautionary note for the consideration of cultural formation when designing research questions and methodologies.
Archaeology and History
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
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