The bike tour starts at the Lakes Shopping and will be guided by an environmental guide, we will cross Saquarema Lagoon in a beautiful setting, passing between trees and mangroves, a local natural fish nursery. After 8 km of pedaling, we will arrive at the Archaeological Site of “Sambaqui da Beirada”, a shell mound square. Saquarema’s coastline has an important archaeological richness representative of human populations that have occupied the region for millennia. The “sambaquis” are ancient places of temporary housing of prehistoric communities that lived of fishing, collection and hunting.

In Sambaqui da Beirada, registered in 1995, is the first outdoor archaeological exhibition of a Sambaqui in Brazil. It houses three skeletons of the “sambaquieiros”, objects of stone, artifacts for fishing and hunting, old bonfires and peculiar rituals. The place is surrounded by a dense vegetation of sandbanks (resting), represented by the mosaic layout, whose local landscape is dazzling not only by the phytophysiognomy but also by the floristic composition, with species of food, medicinal and economic value. The Sambaqui da Beirada was discovered by fisherman ManoelVencesláu, known as Jucá and researched in 1987 by archaeologist LinaKneip and team. Dating back to 4,520 years BC, the Sambaqui - a word of indigenous origin (Tupi) that meanstambá (shell) and ki (heaped) - constitutes the oldest human occupation of Saquarema.

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The primitive inhabitants of the region lived in familiar groups and made weapons, adornments and instruments with stones, bones, animal teeth, shells of molluscs and other materials. They were strong and robust individuals, appearing strong dental wear, but almost absence of caries due to diet-based seafood. Their traditions, eating habits, funerary practices and artistic manifestations identified from the excavations are important pieces in the study of ancient peoples.

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Come enjoy beautiful landscapes, discover the ancient secrets of the city and experience Saquarema!

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