ABSTRACT

The research I have developed and discussed in the previous chapters demonstrates the complexity of Amazonian forager behavior and enables particularities of the hunter-gatherers of the region to be distinguished. Even though throughout my research I focused on recording and analyzing certain ecological aspects of Nukak behavior, I believe that this ethnoarcheological research could be included in what has been called the “New Synthesis” in Amazonian studies (Viveiros de Castro 1996), or the “Revised Paradigm” (Stahl 2002). This is a new perspective on Amazonian cultural development that emphasizes historical circumstances and takes into account the socioideational dimension of these societies. Within this framework I have summarized and discussed several issues of major interest for archaeologists, although it is my belief that some of the subjects tackled in this book are also of interest for social anthropologists and human ecologists. This last chapter distinguishes the main subject areas covered in this book to highlight what I think are the principle contributions of this study.