Portuguese 
Indigenous underground homes appear in the landscape as nearly invisible circles, yet they harbor ancestral engineering that utilized the earth to combat frost, cutting winds, and rain intrusion.
In the midst of high-altitude fields, a small circular depression may seem just a terrain irregularity. However, beneath the vegetation, it could be the remnant of one of the indigenous underground homes built in the highlands of Southern Brazil.
These dwellings were excavated into the soil to create a barrier against intense frosts and cutting winds. This information was published on May 9, 2026 by Estado de Minas, a Brazilian newspaper with national and regional coverage.
The finding reveals an ancestral engineering based on knowledge of the land, climate, and available materials. Instead of building entire houses above ground, the ancient inhabitants incorporated the earth into the structure and thermal protection.
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What Archaeologists Found in the Highlands of Santa Catarina
Archaeologists mapped hundreds of points with circular depressions in regions of Santa Catarina. The shape, distribution, and associated remnants indicate that many of these marks did not occur naturally but resulted from prolonged human occupation.
The structures were excavated manually, even on sloped terrain. The depth could vary depending on the size of the family group and the use of the space, which could also involve storing food under more stable conditions.
In some locations, the depressions formed clusters linked to ancient villages. This arrangement helps us understand not only isolated homes but also connected communities, capable of organizing coexistence, sharing resources, and modifying the landscape to cope with the mountainous climate.
How the Soil Became Protection Against Frosts and Cutting Winds
The excavated portion left part of the dwelling surrounded by earth. This mass of soil acted as a natural thermal insulator, reducing direct contact between the walls and the cold air as well as the gusts that sweep across high-altitude fields.
The interior also experienced fewer rapid temperature changes compared to a fully exposed structure. This was not about modern heating; rather, it utilized the thermal stability of the soil to retain heat generated inside the shelter for a longer period.
Fireplaces played an important role in this logic. With less exposed surface to the wind and the protection of surrounding soil, heat could remain in the environment longer, providing greater security during cold nights.
This solution stemmed from practical observation: the less exposure to icy air, the easier it was to protect people and food. The house was not struggling against the terrain but used its properties as part of the construction.
Small Ventilation, Vegetative Cover, and Walls Shielded from Rain
A partially buried house needed to conserve heat without obstructing air circulation. To balance these needs, the dwellings utilized small openings, capable of controlling ventilation and limiting the loss of heat accumulated by the fireplaces.
The cover combined wood and straw, closing off the top and helping to protect the interior from cold and moisture. The circular shape also facilitated internal organization and shared space among the occupants.
Estado de Minas, a Brazilian newspaper with national and regional coverage, also reported the presence of wall treatments against lateral seepage. The exact composition of this coating was not detailed, so it is not possible to affirm that all structures used the same technique.
This care was indispensable. Digging the shelter without controlling rainfall could turn the thermal advantage into a problem of moisture, wall wear, and loss of internal space.
How Indigenous Underground Homes Change Perspectives on the Past
The constructions contradict the image that indigenous peoples before colonization produced only simple and improvised shelters. Digging, covering, ventilating, and protecting a dwelling required collective planning and knowledge of the environment.
Ceramics and stone tools found in excavations enhance this understanding. These materials help reconstruct daily activities, production methods, and the organization of the communities that occupied the southern Brazilian plateau over time.
Researchers also analyze chemical changes in the soil, traces of pollen, and materials that can undergo carbon dating. Each method addresses a part of the investigation, from the duration of occupation to the habits developed inside and around the dwellings.
Therefore, there is no single age that can be automatically applied to all the mapped depressions. Evidence points to millennia of occupation, while new analyses may still adjust dates and interpretations of each archaeological site.
The Same Logic Reappears in Modern Sustainable Architecture
Modern homes made with raw earth or partially buried return to a similar principle: using the mass of the soil to reduce abrupt temperature changes. This comparison brings the reader closer to this ancestral engineering, but it does not make ancient constructions identical to contemporary designs.
Modern buildings rely on calculations, drainage systems, and materials developed for each terrain. Still, the central idea remains recognizable: the landscape itself can help with thermal comfort, reducing the exposure of walls to wind, cold, and external heat.
The remains from the South of Brazil show that thermal efficiency did not originate with electrical equipment or industrial materials. Long before that, indigenous communities were already observing the climate and transforming the soil into protection, covering, and an essential part of their homes.
The preservation of these depressions allows research to continue and prevents discreet remnants from being destroyed by interventions in the land. Beneath a nearly erased circle in the vegetation may exist a valuable record of the technical capabilities and collective life of the region’s ancient inhabitants.
Did you imagine that the South of Brazil hid underground homes with this level of adaptation to the cold? Share your thoughts in the comments and spread this discovery.
