Characterization and geological context of the silex used as raw material for archaeological artifacts in the Taió region - Santa Catarina, southern Brazil

Abstract

The town of Taió is home to archaeological sites, including the INDUMA SC-TA-19 site studied by the Anchieta Research Institute, which cataloged various lithic artifacts made from silex (flint). According to the different authors, silex is a rocky material with controversial formation processes in the literature. In this context, this work aimed to characterize these silex artifacts, define their source area and geological origin, based on field studies, optical petrography, scanning electron microscopy, and semi-quantitative chemical analysis. The methodology employed allowed characterizing its source area, defining that silex consists of bioclasts, wrapped in silica polymorphs, combined with fibrous chalcedony, in different proportions and establishing its formation in a marine environment.