Análise preliminar dos remanescentes esqueletais humanos pré-históricos do Sumidouro, Lagoa Santa, MG.

Abstract

Bioarchaology is na emerging field that emerged in the mid-1970s and 1980s, but was practiced under another name, physical archaeology (or medical archaeology) since the mid-19th century. In Brazil, the beggining of bioarchaeological research occured through the Danish naturalist Peter Lund, who lived in the small city of Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais, from 1835 until his death in 1880. Lund is considered the Father of archaeology, speleology and paleontology in Brazil. During the time he lived in the region, he explored several caves with human and non-human animal fossils, finding stratigraphic traces of coexistence between the first Americans and megafauna during the Pleistocene. The remains found by the naturalist highlighted the Lagoa Santa region to this day, still being extensively researched. The present study consists of a preliminary analysis of some of the human remains excavated by Lund at the archaeological site Lapa da Lagoa do Sumidouro, in Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Analyzing the presence and Frequency of degenerative joint diseases and some paleodemographic estimates, such as sex, age and height, essential for the beggining of any bioarchaeological study.