Antropologia biológica e bioarqueologia: uma abordagem translacional aplicada ao sítio serrote dos ossos (Caraúbas, Paraíba, Brasil)

Abstract

This thesis presents an anthropological and bioarchaeological study of the human osteological assemblage recovered from the Serrote dos Ossos Archaeological Site, located in Caraúbas, Paraíba, Brazil, aiming to understand the biological, cultural, and environmental aspects of the populations that inhabited the semi-arid region of Northeastern Brazil. Grounded in an interdisciplinary approach, the research integrates methods from Bioarchaeology, Forensic Anthropology, and Molecular Genetics, combining morphological, taphonomic, paleopathological, and genetic analyses within a biocultural and comparative framework. The study examined a total of 760 skeletal elements, applying standardized protocols for identification, measurement, and classification, as well as radiographic and tomographic imaging techniques for documentation and analysis of the material. The results reveal a biologically heterogeneous population composed of both adults and children, presenting markers of physiological stress, bone remodeling, osteoarthrosis, and lesions compatible with mechanical overload and biological aging. Taphonomic analysis indicated a high degree of fragmentation and controlled deposition patterns, suggesting intentional funerary practices and sedimentary conditions favorable to bone preservation. The extraction of ancient DNA (aDNA) enabled the identification of mitochondrial haplogroups A2 and C1, characteristic of Native American lineages, confirming biological continuity and establishing a link between the archaeological record and the genetic ancestry of populations from the northeastern Brazilian hinterlands. The adaptation of international archaeogenetic protocols and the integration of osteological and molecular datasets demonstrate the technical and scientific feasibility of conducting bioarchaeological research in semi-arid environments, establishing an important methodological milestone for Translational Bioarchaeology in Brazil. The research highlights the importance of interpreting the Serrote dos Ossos site as a space of biocultural memory, in which scientific investigation allows the reconstruction, from material remains, of the life trajectories, death practices, and ancestral heritage of the populations that inhabited the semi-arid region of Northeastern Brazil.