Niède Guidon, Serra da Capivara and celestial records in rock art: science, culture and archaeoastronomy in the Piauí caatinga
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47456/Cad.Astro.v6n2.50413Keywords:
Niède Guidon, Serra da Capivara, rock art, archaeoastronomy, science popularizationAbstract
This article explores the trajectory of archaeologist Niède Guidon and her scientific-cultural legacy based on her discoveries in Serra da Capivara, Piauí. Based on her contribution to Brazilian archaeology and the importance of Serra da Capivara National Park as a world heritage site, we discuss the role of science and education in preserving historical memory and valuing indigenous cultures. Finally, we analyze the archaeoastronomical potential of the region's rock paintings, exploring the possible relationship between prehistoric graphic records and celestial observations of its ancient inhabitants. The analysis adopts an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating archaeology, cultural astronomy and history of science.
References
[1] M. Rodrigues, Niède Guidon (1933–2025): Archaeologist who questioned when humans populated the Americas, Nature 643(8070), 30 (2025).
[2] N. Guidon e G. Delibrias, Carbon-14 dates point to man in the Americas 32,000 years ago, Nature 321(6072), 769 (1986).
[3] UNESCO, Parque Nacional Serra da Capivara – Patrimônio Mundial (1991). Disponível em https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/606/, acesso em jul. 2025.
[4] FUMDHAM, Fundação Museu do Homem Americano. Disponível em https://www. fumdham.org.br/, acesso em jul. 2025.
[5] N. Guidon, Serra da Capivara: um parque nacional no semiárido do Nordeste (FUMDHAM, São Raimundo Nonato, 2014).
[6] G. Magli, Archaeoastronomy: Introduction to the Science of Stars and Stones (Springer, New York, 2024).
[7] M.C. Silva, Parque Arqueológico do Solstício no Amapá: Um Estudo Arqueoastronômico, Monografia de graduação, Universidade Federal do Amapá, Macapá (2017).
[8] D. González-Aguilera et al., 3D digital surveying and modelling of cave geometry: application to paleolithic rock art, Sensors 9(2), 1108 (2009).
[9] A. Jalandoni e S. K. May, How 3D models (photogrammetry) of rock art can improve recording veracity: a case study from Kakadu National Park, Australia, Australian Archaeology 86(2), 137 (2020).
[10] R. P. Norris e D. W. Hamacher, Astronomical Symbolism in Australian Aboriginal Rock Art, Rock Art Research 28(1), 99 (2011). ArXiv:1009.4753.
[11] R. G. Gunn, L. C. Douglas e R. L. Whear, Interpreting polychrome paintings using DStretch, Rock Art Research 31, 101 (2014).
[12] J.-L. Le Quellec, F. Duquesnoy e C. Defrasne, Digital image enhancement with DStretch®: Is complexity always necessary for efficiency?, Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage 2(2–3), 55 (2015).
[13] F. Monna et al., ERA: A new, fast, machine learning-based software to document rock paintings, Journal of Cultural Heritage 58, 91 (2022).
[14] F. Uccheddu et al., Multispectral 3D mapping on a Roman sculpture to study ancient polychromy, in The Future of Heritage Science and Technologies II (Springer Nature Switzerland, 2025), 404–416. ArXiv: 2501.18786.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Viviana Borges Corte, Rizalva dos Santos Cardoso Rabelo

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.



