Historical timbers of traditional rafts from along the coast of pernambuco, northeast Brazil

Rafts constitute an eminent cultural symbol of the fishing communities of the northeast coast of Brazil. This study aimed to describe the use of forest resoures for rafts by identifying the wood used in the construction of rafts housed in the collection of National Sea Museum, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Wood samples were acquired with an increment auger for standard histological preparation for the study of wood anatomy. The species was identified as Apeiba tibourbou (Malvaceae), known locally as pau-jangada, which possesses low density wood that is lightweight and highly buoyant. Knowledge regarding the raw materials used in traditional boats not only contributes to information on patrimonial assets, but also helps in understanding the relationships between societies and forests in the production of material culture.