Ancient Pots Reveal 19th Century Brazilian Social Divide Through Diet

An archaeological study analyzing lipid residues in over 180 ceramic fragments from the late 19th and early 20th centuries has reconstructed the diets of various social groups in Brazil, highlighting significant inequalities. Researchers from ICTA-UAB examined pots used by indigenous, African, Luso-Brazilian, and German settler families in the Babitonga Bay region of Santa Catarina, now encompassing Joinville and São Francisco do Sul. The analysis of preserved fat molecules revealed that European colonists consumed meat, dairy, and cultivated plants from their own land. In stark contrast, indigenous and enslaved African communities primarily relied on fishing and other subsistence resources. This dietary disparity, the study suggests, reflects the unequal access to land and the formal market economy of the time. While Brazil possessed abundant natural resources and arable land, their benefits were not evenly distributed. The research employed advanced analytical techniques, including gas chromatography and carbon isotope analysis, to identify molecular signatures of different food sources, distinguishing between terrestrial animal fats, aquatic life, and plant oils. Although protein extraction proved more challenging due to degradation, trace amounts of fish and egg yolk were identified. The findings indicate that hand-made pots, often decorated in indigenous, African, and European styles, were used by communities with limited access to resources, who consequently relied on freely available coastal resources like fish and seafood. Families with land ownership or integration into the formal economy had access to livestock and crops, demonstrating that dietary choices were largely dictated by socioeconomic status rather than preference. The study, part of the ERC Tradition project, underscores how molecular archaeology can uncover historical narratives of social inequality that might be absent from written records.