A presente pesquisa trata de aspectos funcionais e espaciais de um conjunto de sítios arqueológicos localizados na área setentrional do Pantanal Mato-grossense conhecida como Pantanal de Cáceres. Inseridos no contexto de diversidade cultural que caracteriza a região do Gran Chaco e Alto Paraguai, sítios arqueológicos associados à cerâmica Pantanal - atribuída a grupos pescadores-caçadores-coletores, e à cerâmica Descalvados - atribuída a grupos cultivadores - são discutidos a partir de seu material lítico e cerâmico, bem como da distribuição espacial desses vestígios. Pela primeira vez é realizado um estudo sobre o material lítico da ocupação Descalvados, evidenciando uma indústria de adornos. Ao longo do trabalho diferentes níveis de relações são explorados, desde as possíveis funções dos sítios no âmbito de sistemas de sítios, como a organização interna de um sítio da ocupação Descalvados. Para a discussão de sistemas de sítios são consideradas variáveis paisagísticas e a variabilidade presente no material arqueológico de distintos sítios. Para a discussão da organização interna de um sítio são comparados materiais cerâmicos e líticos, além de estruturas arqueológicas, aos quais foram atribuídas determinadas funções. Oposições binárias como tralha doméstica versus parafernália ritual, e espaços domésticos versus espaços funerários são exploradas numa perspectiva estruturalista, permitindo vislumbrar aspectos materiais e não materiais da ocupação Descalvados. A discussão extrapola a abordagem funcionalista ecológica, à medida que trata de aspectos que vão além das funções práticas dos elementos materiais e espaciais. São também testadas algumas hipóteses construídas previamente, tais como as funções das vasilhas cerâmicas, e a possível concomitância das ocupações associadas às cerâmicas Pantanal e Descalvados. Novas datações absolutas foram obtidas, preenchendo um lapso temporal que existia para a ocupação Descalvados, e recuando em cerca de um milênio o início da ocupação pelos grupos associados à cerâmica Pantanal / This research deals with functional and spatial aspects of a set of archeological sites located in the northern area of the Mato Grosso Pantanal known as the Pantanal of Cáceres. Within a context of cultural diversity which characterizes the region of the Gran Chaco and Upper Paraguay, archeological sites associated with Pantanal ceramics (attributed to groups of fishermen, hunters and collectors) and Descalvados ceramics (attributed to groups of farmers), are discussed in terms of the lithic and ceramic material, as well as the distribution of these remains. For the first time, a study is being carried out on the lithic material of the occupation by the Descalvados revealing the production of decorations. During the study, different levels of relationships were explored starting from the possible functions of the sites in the realm of site systems through to the internal organization of a site occupied by the Descalvados. In order to discuss the site systems, variables such as the surrounding area and variations in the archeological material present in distinct sites were taken into consideration. For discussion of the internal organization of the site, ceramic and lithic material were compared as well as archeological structures to which specific functions were attributed. Binary opositions such as domestic utensils vesus ritual paraphernalia and domestic space versus funeral spaces are explored from a structuralist perspective permitting a view of the material and non-material aspects of the Descalvados occupation. The discussion extrapolates the ecological, functionalist approach since it deals with aspects which go beyond the practical functions of the material and spatial elements. Also, some previously constructed hypotheses are tested such as the functions of the ceramic containers and the possible concomitance of the occupations associated with the Pantanal and Descalvados ceramics. New absolute datings were obtained filling in temporal gap that existed with respect to the Descalvados occupation taking back the beginning of the occupation by groups associated with Pantanal ceramics by one millennium

Values have been identified as important factors that guide decision-making and influence preferences in water governance. Comparing the values reflected in water governance decisions with the values held by stakeholders and the general public may inform the debate on the political legitimacy of water governance. The research presented in this PhD thesis draws on multiple research traditions on values, ranging from ecological economics and political ecology to social and environmental psychology, to investigate the value base of water governance in the Upper Paraguay River Basin, in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. It first introduces a novel conceptual framework that integrates these various research traditions and suggests that water governance is closely related to the fundamental values, governance-related values, and assigned values of stakeholders and actors in water governance more generally. These different types of values vary in their level of abstractness, as well as in their ‘locus’, i.e. where the valuing person locates them, and are hypothesised to be closely interrelated in a hierarchical structure, with fundamental values being the most abstract type of values. Water governance, in turn, is defined as the synthesis of water policy (the ‘content’ of decisionmaking), water politics (the ‘power play’ between actors) and water polity (the institutional framework). The thesis then proceeds to apply this novel conceptual framework in a case study on stakeholders’ values in the Upper Paraguay River Basin, and investigates the relationship of their values with their preferences regarding the construction of the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway through the Pantanal wetland, in the south of Mato Grosso. This water infrastructure project has a long history of conflict attached to it, as it might impact the hydrology and ecology of the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical freshwater wetland and UNESCO biosphere reserve, while at the same time benefitting Mato Grosso’s rapidly growing agribusiness sector by lowering the cost of soybean exports. Based on 24 semi-structured interviews with relevant stakeholders, it was found that supporters and opponents possess different, clashing ‘value landscapes’ (i.e. groups of related values), which may explain the protracted nature of the conflict around the construction of the waterway, while at the same time highlighting political legitimacy deficits of the project. This research was followed up by a quantitative study with members of the general public (n=1067), which sought to measure and test the assumption that we can empirically identify such clashing value landscapes, and their relationship with preferences for or against the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), statistically significant links between people’s values and their preferences in water governance could indeed be found, as well as between different types of values, which formed two contrasting value landscapes. This suggests that water governance conflicts may in part be explained by the presence of different value landscapes among involved actors, which may include even the most abstract level of fundamental values. The research presented in this thesis thus contributes to interdisciplinary debates on the role of values for water governance from multiple conceptual, as well as methodological perspectives. Additionally, through its application to a concrete case study, it highlights the policy relevance of such research, as addressing conflicts in water governance and examining alternative policy options may require a more explicit consideration of the values of the actors involved.

A presente pesquisa trata de aspectos funcionais e espaciais de um conjunto de sítios arqueológicos localizados na área setentrional do Pantanal Mato-grossense conhecida como Pantanal de Cáceres. Inseridos no contexto de diversidade cultural que caracteriza a região do Gran Chaco e Alto Paraguai, sítios arqueológicos associados à cerâmica Pantanal - atribuída a grupos pescadores-caçadores-coletores, e à cerâmica Descalvados - atribuída a grupos cultivadores - são discutidos a partir de seu material lítico e cerâmico, bem como da distribuição espacial desses vestígios. Pela primeira vez é realizado um estudo sobre o material lítico da ocupação Descalvados, evidenciando uma indústria de adornos. Ao longo do trabalho diferentes níveis de relações são explorados, desde as possíveis funções dos sítios no âmbito de sistemas de sítios, como a organização interna de um sítio da ocupação Descalvados. Para a discussão de sistemas de sítios são consideradas variáveis paisagísticas e a variabilidade presente no material arqueológico de distintos sítios. Para a discussão da organização interna de um sítio são comparados materiais cerâmicos e líticos, além de estruturas arqueológicas, aos quais foram atribuídas determinadas funções. Oposições binárias como tralha doméstica versus parafernália ritual, e espaços domésticos versus espaços funerários são exploradas numa perspectiva estruturalista, permitindo vislumbrar aspectos materiais e não materiais da ocupação Descalvados. A discussão extrapola a abordagem funcionalista ecológica, à medida que trata de aspectos que vão além das funções práticas dos elementos materiais e espaciais. São também testadas algumas hipóteses construídas previamente, tais como as funções das vasilhas cerâmicas, e a possível concomitância das ocupações associadas às cerâmicas Pantanal e Descalvados. Novas datações absolutas foram obtidas, preenchendo um lapso temporal que existia para a ocupação Descalvados, e recuando em cerca de um milênio o início da ocupação pelos grupos associados à cerâmica Pantanal / This research deals with functional and spatial aspects of a set of archeological sites located in the northern area of the Mato Grosso Pantanal known as the Pantanal of Cáceres. Within a context of cultural diversity which characterizes the region of the Gran Chaco and Upper Paraguay, archeological sites associated with Pantanal ceramics (attributed to groups of fishermen, hunters and collectors) and Descalvados ceramics (attributed to groups of farmers), are discussed in terms of the lithic and ceramic material, as well as the distribution of these remains. For the first time, a study is being carried out on the lithic material of the occupation by the Descalvados revealing the production of decorations. During the study, different levels of relationships were explored starting from the possible functions of the sites in the realm of site systems through to the internal organization of a site occupied by the Descalvados. In order to discuss the site systems, variables such as the surrounding area and variations in the archeological material present in distinct sites were taken into consideration. For discussion of the internal organization of the site, ceramic and lithic material were compared as well as archeological structures to which specific functions were attributed. Binary opositions such as domestic utensils vesus ritual paraphernalia and domestic space versus funeral spaces are explored from a structuralist perspective permitting a view of the material and non-material aspects of the Descalvados occupation. The discussion extrapolates the ecological, functionalist approach since it deals with aspects which go beyond the practical functions of the material and spatial elements. Also, some previously constructed hypotheses are tested such as the functions of the ceramic containers and the possible concomitance of the occupations associated with the Pantanal and Descalvados ceramics. New absolute datings were obtained filling in temporal gap that existed with respect to the Descalvados occupation taking back the beginning of the occupation by groups associated with Pantanal ceramics by one millennium