ANÁLISE PALEOAMBIENTAL DO CONTEXTO FLUVIAL DO VALE DO RIO CARNAÚBA: NAVEGABILIDADE PRETÉRITA ASSOCIADA ÀS IMAGENS DE PIROGAS PRESENTES NO CONTEXTO ARQUEOLÓGICO DA ÁREA ARQUEOLÓGICA DO SERIDÓ, CARNAÚBA DOS DANTAS – RN
This article analyses the archaeological sites with rock art with the presence of representations called here “Pirogas”, looking for an association between these figures and the past fluvial context of Carnaúba river valley (Brazil). The research aims to identify the viability of navigation in the past paleoenvironment of the drainage networks of the Carnaúba river valley. Through the collection and interpretation of primary and secondary data and their manipulation through the use of georeferencing in a GIS environment, it was possible to verify that over different epochs of the Holocene, in climatic conditions of greater humidity and better rainfall distribution, the Carnaúba river possibly had flower conditions and flood regimes more durable than the present, favouring better subsistence conditions and the possibility of its use for navigation purposes. However, the need for further studies on environmental reconstruction of the archaeological area is reaffirmed and new problems related to the interpretation of the region’s rock art records are presented.