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Boletim do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi Ciências Humanas

Print version ISSN 1981-8122

Abstract

BEL, Martijn van den. The Palikur Potters: an ethnoarchaeological case study on the Palikur pottery tradition in French-Guiana and Amapá, Brazil. Bol. Mus. Para. Emilio Goeldi Cienc. Hum. [online]. 2009, vol.4, n.1, pp.39-56. ISSN 1981-8122.

Ethnographic fieldwork (1994-1998) by the author among the Palikur of French-Guiana and Amapá State, in Brazil, provided a description of the actual state of their pottery tradition. It shows how the last Palikur potters manufacture ceramics and how they decorate their pottery. The Palikur decoration motifs reflect the organisation of Palikur society which is embedded in their oral tradition. They play an important role during public (ritual) events such as marriage, initiation and death. This information can be used as a tool for archaeologists to gain a better understanding of pre- Columbian ceramic complexes.

Keywords : Ethno-archaeology; Palikur; Pottery tradition; Decoration motifs.

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