PIXE and PIGE analysis of pre-colonial pottery from Patanal - MS, Brazil

PIXE and PIGE were applied to investigate the pottery from two archaeological sites located near the Brazil-Bolivia border in Pantanal, an area of natural preservation. The region was inhabited by ancient Amerindian tribes long before the Latin America colonization period and a deep understanding of their environment, cultural attributes and interconnections can only be achieved based on the study of archaeological findings. Multivariate statistical procedures were used to determine similarities and correlations between the analyzed samples and to indicate possible sources of raw material provenience. The results showed that traces of Cr, Cu and Ti and Na/Si and Mg/Si counting ratios were important to distinguish sherds from the archaeological sites MS-CP-71 and MS-CP-61. (author)