Acre — Capixaba Ramal Geoglyphs Phase West (Western Acre Ramal)
Capixaba Ramal Geoglyphs · Acre Ramal Geoglyphs West · Capixaba Phase II West
Early to Late Pre-Columbian (400 BCE – 1000 CE)·Acre geoglyph culture / Arawak·🇧🇷 Acre, Capixaba municipality, Ramal 3 settlement west of Capixaba town, Brazil
About
About Acre — Capixaba Ramal Geoglyphs Phase West (Western Acre Ramal)
5 m deep, avenue 700 m × 10 m between enclosures and pit-house mound at 195 m on interfluve laterite. 07S), this Ramal 3 west sector shows 14 ha triple-enclosure with Inca-geoglyph style square with rounded corners c. 600 CE and terra preta fringe with Brazil nut management. Avenue causeway connects to Rio Branco–Capixaba ramal network. Lorenz deforestation 2006 exposed enclosure Lidar.
Why it mattersRamal west proves Acre western interfluve geoglyph density beyond Capixaba town; triple square calibrates late 600 CE aggregation and Brazil nut management in interfluve.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether triple is contemporaneous or sequential
- 02Attribution of pit-house to geoglyph builders vs later Tupí?
Theories
- 01Ramal 3 avenue marks interfluve causeway to Fazenda Colorada
- 02Triple reflects moiety partition
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 400 BCE–1000 CE geoglyph tradition; Ramal 3 600 CE
- Period
- Early to Late Pre-Columbian (400 BCE – 1000 CE)
- Culture
- Acre geoglyph culture / Arawak
- Builders
- Acre geoglyph builders (Arawak-related)
- Purpose
- Ceremonial geoglyph avenues and interfluve village aggregation
- Abandoned
- c. 1000 CE aggregation dispersal and forest regrowth
- Rediscovered
- 2006 deforestation Lidar; Ramal 3 west 2015 Ranzi-Sharp survey
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 400 BCE
Acre square geoglyph tradition initiated on laterite
c. 600 CE
Ramal 3 triple 120 m squares and 700 m avenue built west Capixaba
2006–2015
Deforestation exposes Ramal 3; Lidar maps west triple
On the ground
Structures & features
10.0550° S · 67.8550° W · 195 m · 3 mapped features
Triple Square Enclosures (3× 120×120 m)
enclosureThree squares 120 m ditch 3 m wide ×1.5 m deep
10.0555° S · 67.8555° WAvenue Causeway (700 m×10 m)
avenue700 m avenue 10 m wide connecting squares
10.0550° S · 67.8550° WPit-House Mound (12 m diameter)
moundMound 12 m at ramal edge with terra preta
10.0545° S · 67.8552° W