“Terra da Usina Ilha Bela”: uma leitura arqueológica e histórica das ocupações humanas no Vale do Ceará-Mirim no Rio Grande do Norte (sécs. XVII ao XIX)

Abstract

The present work aims to present the analysis of human occupations in the Ceará-Mirim Valley, focusing on the geographical area of Ilha Bela, during the 17th and 19th centuries. Using a historical-archaeological approach, the landscape of the area was observed through Landscape Archaeology and the work of historians and memorialists, seeking to characterize its morphological aspects and human interventions in the space. Ilha Bela is described as a natural territory, but influenced by human activities over time. The study involved cartographic, historical, and archaeological analyses from different collections. The Ceará-Mirim Valley and, especially, Ilha Bela are understood as spaces of long duration. It is concluded that Ilha Bela was occupied in three distinct moments: the indigenous contact period, the emergence of mills, and the transformations of these into factories, highlighting changes in the landscape over these periods.