MACAPA — Archaeologists working along the BR-156 highway in Brazil's northern state of Amapá have uncovered pottery and artifacts linked to pre-Columbian societies during surveys tied to paving work. At nine dig sites along the route, researchers found pottery vases that may be funerary urns, along with small artifacts resembling human faces.

The material included pottery in multiple styles and techniques reflecting influences from communities ranging from Pará state to the Caribbean. A team from the National Department of Transport Infrastructure cleaned and analyzed the items recovered along the highway.

Road construction in the Amazon rainforest often requires archaeological surveys before paving begins, and such projects have enabled archaeologists to uncover evidence of the region's pre-European history.

Lúcio Flávio Costa Leite, manager of the Archaeological Research Center at Amapá's Institute for Scientific and Technological Research, said the relationship between road projects and archaeological work carries a dual character. "What we now about the region's past is also tied to the opening created by these projects, which gives our relationship with them a somewhat ambivalent character," Costa Leite said. "At the same time, the knowledge we gain about these sites leads us to pay closer attention to these regions, including by adopting permanent protection measures."

Archaeologist Manoel Fabiano da Silva Santos described the layers of Amazon soil he excavated as a historical timeline. In the upper layers, he found items such as Portuguese porcelain and nails linked to European occupation. "Digging deeper, we uncovered pottery and ceramics associated with earlier Indigenous presence, marking the site's transition before and after the arrival of colonizers," Santos said.

The artifacts will eventually enter Amapá's state collection, which includes about 530,000 pieces and is overseen by Costa Leite. The oldest artifact in that collection is around 6,140 years old. Recent archaeological research shows the Amazon region was shaped by interconnected societies long before Columbus arrived. Research in archaeological and historical ecology indicates that Indigenous peoples lived in the Amazon for centuries and shaped it through long-term sustainable practices.

Brazilian law prohibits alteration of protected archaeological sites.