Kuhikugu — Central Reservoir Cluster K12 at Seki Lake Central (Xingu Central)
Kuhikugu K12 Reservoir · Xingu Central Reservoir · Seki Lake K12
Late Pre-Columbian (900–1600 CE)·Upper Xingu / ancestral Kuikuro Arawak·🇧🇷 Mato Grosso, Upper Xingu, Kuikuro Indigenous Territory, Seki Lake central isthmus K12, Brazil
About
About Kuhikugu — Central Reservoir Cluster K12 at Seki Lake Central (Xingu Central)
Central reservoir village K12 at the isthmus between Lagoa Dourada (Seki Lake) and western lagoon, where Kuhikugu's hydraulic core preserves a 9 ha reservoir village with 18 m wide embanked reservoir 80×60 m × 2.5 m deep, plaza 100 m and 900 m intake canal from the lake surveyed by Heckenberger-Kuikuro augering and LiDAR. Distinct from K9 western and K10 eastern plazas, this isthmus K12 served as water-management node c. 1300 CE with fishpond function, turtle breeding and dry-season storage for the 20-village cluster. Reservoir banks lined with egepe and palisade, with causeway 600 m to X11 Kuhikugu central. Reservoir silt holds fishbone and manioc phytoliths.
Why it mattersK12 reservoir proves Kuhikugu hydraulic sophistication beyond ditches; fishbone and phytoliths date intensive aquaculture and manioc beer surplus for plaza feasting.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether reservoir was fishpond or potable storage
- 02Attribution of canal intake to dry-season ritual?
Theories
- 01K12 controlled isthmus water for 5000-person cluster
- 02Reservoir abandonment marks 1600 CE pandemic collapse
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 1300 CE reservoir village during Kuhikugu climax
- Period
- Late Pre-Columbian (900–1600 CE)
- Culture
- Upper Xingu / ancestral Kuikuro Arawak
- Builders
- Ancestral Kuikuro
- Purpose
- Hydraulic reservoir and fishpond for cluster water storage
- Abandoned
- c. 1600 CE cluster depopulation
- Rediscovered
- 2003 Heckenberger; K12 reservoir LiDAR 2017
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 1300 CE
K12 reservoir village, embanked pond and canal built at isthmus
c. 1400 CE
Reservoir peak use for fish hatchery
2017
LiDAR maps K12 reservoir and 900 m canal
On the ground
Structures & features
12.5580° S · 53.1050° W · 340 m · 3 mapped features
Embanked Reservoir (80×60 m×2.5 m)
reservoirReservoir 80×60 m 2.5 m deep with 18 m embankment
12.5585° S · 53.1055° WIntake Canal (900 m×6 m)
canalCanal 900 m from Seki Lake to reservoir
12.5580° S · 53.1050° WPlaza and Palisade (100 m)
plazaCentral plaza 100 m with palisade around 9 ha
12.5575° S · 53.1045° W