Did our ancestors have sex?

Sexual diversity in the rock art of Serra da Capivara National Park, Piauí, Brazil

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29327/233099.18.2-1

Keywords:

Registros rupestres, Parque Nacional Serra da Capivara, Práticas sexuais, História Antiga do Brasil, Teoria Queer

Abstract

And how did our ancestors practice sex? As studies already published in the area indicate, sexual practices were embedded in the daily lives of the peoples who inhabited the lands of Brazil long before the 1500s. Rock art records indicate that those people had varied sexual practices that seemed not yet regulated and normalized as they are today, as attested by several studies linked to queer perspectives. These practices included sex between people of the same sex, sex between people of different sexes, sex between people and animals, group sex between people, and sex between adults and children or at least in the presence of children. Through studies in the field of anthropology and archaeology, developed for more than 10 years in the Serra da Capivara National Park by Michel Justamand, and in contact with research on gender and sexuality by Leandro Colling, between January 29 and February 5, 2018, an expedition to the park was organized to visit archaeological sites with records of scenes of sexual and reproductive practices. Thus, the present study aims to present preliminary notes on what was revealed during this expedition, especially regarding scenes of sexual practices. In the presentation, we will use photographic records of the rock art scenes from the archaeological sites visited during the expedition, which relate to the theoretical frameworks on sexual practices in the Ancient History of Brazil.

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Author Biographies

Antoniel dos Santos Gomes Filho, Universidade Federal do Ceará

Professor at the Regional University of Cariri - Bárbara de Alencar Campus (Campos Sales-CE). Master's degree in Brazilian Education from the Federal University of Ceará (UFC). Technologist in Commercial Management from the Dr. Leão Sampaio University Center (UNILEÃO). Bachelor's degree in Pedagogy from Faculdade Kurios (FAK). Master's student in the Postgraduate Program in Sustainable Regional Development at the Federal University of Cariri (PRODER/UFCA) with funding from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). Student affiliated with the Laboratory of Urban Studies, Sustainability and Public Policies of the Federal University of Cariri (LAURBS/UFCA-CNPq). Researcher of the Research Group in Science and Biology Teaching at the Regional University of Cariri (URCA-CNPq); of the Research Group on Contemporaneity, Subjectivities and New Epistemologies at the University of Pernambuco; From the Interdisciplinary Group for Studies and Research in Education, Language and Social Practices of the Federal University of Campina Grande (GIEPELPS/UFCG); and from the Group for Studies and Research on Ethnic-Racial Relations and Science and Biology Teaching (GEPRREC/UNIFESSPA). Research areas: Education and Sexuality in Rural and/or Countryside Spaces. Science Teaching and Teacher Training. Migration Processes in Brazil and Latin America. Sociology and Anthropology of Gender and Ethnic-Racial Relations in Brazil. Decoloniality and Brazil-Africa Relations. History of Education. Life History and (Auto)Biography.

Leandro Colling, Universidade Federal da Bahia

Leandro Colling holds a degree in Social Communication from the University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos (1996), a master's degree (2000) and a doctorate (2006) in Communication and Contemporary Culture from the Federal University of Bahia. He is a full professor at the Institute of Humanities, Arts and Sciences (IHAC) Professor Milton Santos (curricular component Studies of Subjectivities) and a permanent professor in the Multidisciplinary Postgraduate Program in Culture and Society (Pós-cultura) at the Federal University of Bahia. He is one of the creators and coordinators of the Research and Extension Center on Cultures, Genders and Sexualities (NuCuS) and one of the creators and editors of the academic journal Periódicus (A3), launched in 2014. He chaired the Brazilian Association for Homoculture Studies (ABEH) in the 2011-2012 term and was coordinator of the Postgraduate Program in Culture from 12/2021 to 12/2022 and vice-coordinator for three periods (09/2018 to 08/2019, 07/2020 to 11/2021 and 06/2023 to 01/2025). He is the author of several articles and book chapters on the subjectivities and representation of LGBT people in the media, LGBT and queer themes in cultural products and the arts, and on policies for respect for sexual and gender diversity. He is the author of the books *The Will to Expose - Art, Gender and Sexuality*, *Gender and Sexuality Today*, and *Let Others Be the Normal: Tensions Between the LGBT Movement and Queer Activism* (translated and published in Spain in 2019 by Egales Publishers), and editor of the books *Stonewall 40 + What in Brazil?*, *Studies and Politics of the CUS*, *Sexual and Gender Dissidences*, and *Artivisms of Sexual and Gender Dissidences*, all published by the Federal University of Bahia Press, and *Art of Resistance*, published by Devires Publishers.

Michel Justamand, Universidade Federal do Amazonas

Associate Professor IV of the Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology, at INC, UFAM. On September 4, 2025, I proudly completed 30 years as a public servant.

Gabriel Frechiani de Oliveira, Universidade Federal de Sergipe

Holds a PhD in Archaeology from the Federal University of Sergipe (2018) and a Master's degree in Anthropology and Archaeology from the Federal University of Piauí (2014). Possesses a multidisciplinary background, including undergraduate degrees in History (UESPI, 2007), Philosophy (UNIFAVENI, 2024), Geography (FAVENI, 2024), Portuguese and English Literature (UNIBTA, 2022), Social Sciences (FACULDADE EDUCAM, 2022), Environmental Management (WYDEN, 2022), Pedagogy (INTERVALE, 2021), and Administration (UAPI, 2022), in addition to several specializations in areas such as Teaching Methodology, Environmental Management, Special and Inclusive Education, Neuropsychopedagogy, Clinical and Institutional Psychopedagogy, and Archaeology and Heritage. With professional experience, he has worked as a Substitute Professor and Coordinator of the History Course at the State University of Piauí (UESPI), and as a Scholarship Professor in programs such as Plataforma Freire and PARFOR, teaching History and Introduction to Archaeology. He has consolidated experience in teaching, pedagogical coordination and research, focusing on History, Archaeology and Heritage Preservation, demonstrating leadership and educational management skills.

Vanessa da Silva Belarmino, Universidade Federal Vale do Rio São Francisco

Professional Summary: Archaeologist with extensive experience in research, teaching, and management of archaeological projects. Holds a degree in Geography from the State University of Piauí (2013), a degree in Archaeology and Heritage Preservation from the Federal University of the São Francisco Valley, Serra da Capivara Campus (2019), and a master's degree in Archaeology from the same institution (2023). Currently, she works as a field coordinator archaeologist. Throughout her career, she has coordinated projects in several established archaeology companies in Brazil, leading teams in archaeological prospecting, rescue, and monitoring. She is also part of the technical team of the paleontology laboratory at the Federal University of the São Francisco Valley, Serra da Capivara Campus, and teaches heritage at the State University of Piauí, in addition to teaching courses related to archaeology, drawing, and photography at various educational institutions. She also collaborates as a volunteer on academic projects at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Her academic career includes in-depth research on the rock paintings of the Serra da Capivara National Park, focusing on the iconographic analysis of hunting scenes. This research formed the basis of her master's thesis and resulted in the publication of several articles in national and international journals, as well as the book "Caçadors of Prehistory". She has consolidated experience in the field of archaeology, encompassing prospecting, excavation, rescue, and heritage conservation. Participated in important projects of national impact, including: Belo Monte Hydroelectric Complex (PA) - Worked on archaeological rescue in the Amazon Rainforest, contributing to the mitigation of the project's impacts on cultural heritage. Archaeological Projects in Serra da Capivara (PI) - Research and analysis of rock paintings, deepening knowledge about the prehistoric cultural manifestations of the region. Archaeological Monitoring and Rescue Project in Silves (AM) - Work carried out in the municipality of Silves, near Manaus, focusing on the preservation of archaeological sites in the Amazon. Various Impact Assessment and Archaeological Rescue Projects in the Northeast and Amazon - Worked on environmental impact studies, systematic prospecting and rescue of archaeological sites threatened by infrastructure projects. Her main research interests include sexual multiplicity, rock paintings and cultural heritage, focusing on the preservation and interpretation of archaeological remains in contexts of human occupation.

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Published

2018-12-26

How to Cite

GOMES FILHO, A. dos S.; COLLING, L.; JUSTAMAND, M.; OLIVEIRA, G. F. de; BELARMINO, V. da S.; SANTOS FILHO, M. R. dos. Did our ancestors have sex? Sexual diversity in the rock art of Serra da Capivara National Park, Piauí, Brazil. Somanlu: Journal of Amazonian Studies, Manaus, v. 18, n. 02, p. 5–16, 2018. DOI: 10.29327/233099.18.2-1. Disponível em: //periodicos.ufam.edu.br/index.php/somanlu/article/view/5068. Acesso em: 16 nov. 2025.

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 02 (2018): Revista Somanlu: 18 anos da História de Consolidação da Pesquisa Cientifica na Amazônia.

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