THE MYSTERIOUS MAROIÇOS ON TRINDADE ISLAND, SOUTH ATLANTIC, BRAZIL

This article presents the first archaeological and photographic evidence of pre-1957 stone constructions on Trindade Island, South Atlantic, Brazil, which exhibit strong morphological and functional similarities to maroiços, the dry-stone agricultural structures found on Pico Island in the Azores, Portugal. These features predate the Oceanographic Post established by the Brazilian Navy in 1957 and appear in rare photographs from 1916 and 1959. Pottery fragments recovered from the site support a late-18th-century origin. Ethnographic parallels from the Azores suggest these structures were likely agricultural in nature, used to clear land and facilitate cultivation. Their resemblance to maroiços, sometimes misinterpreted as megalithic or ceremonial in function, reinforces their utilitarian role in a harsh, insular environment. We propose that these constructions be recognized as cultural heritage and protected by Brazilian authorities, as material evidence of a little known Azorean presence on Trindade Island.