The construction of the Cristalândia wind farm in Bahia revealed a small historical treasure: a stone fence spanning about six kilometers, which has witnessed the development and occupation of Brumado, the town where the Enel Green Power plant is located.
Before starting any project, experts employed by Enel study the social and environmental impact of the works. In Cristalândia’s case, the Environmental Discipline team undertook archaeological identification and monitoring efforts to preserve the region’s cultural and historical heritage.
Local residents alerted researchers to the existence of a stone fence at the top of Serra do Sítio São José. From this finding, the archaeological prospection team began to investigate its origins. The initial step consisted of historical research on the region’s occupation, which determined the first inhabitants arrived at the site in the 18th century, together with a bandeirantes (European explorers) expedition led by Francisco de Souza Meira.
The second phase comprised analysis of the documents and deeds to local properties, which revealed that, unlike previously believed, the stone fences did not aim to divide properties in the area. In fact, the fences separated livestock from farmland. They also worked as protection for goats and sheep from attacks by caititus, a wild pig species.
The historical records also did away with the belief that the fences were built by slaves. In the 19th century, the lands at the top of the Serra belonged to the farmer Bonifácio Barbosa da Silveira and his inventory contained only two domestic slaves. History books explain that there were many free workers at the time in Bahia’s hinterland, since the price of slaves had gone up with the end of the slave trade.
A very peculiar type of construction
The stone fences are the result of a very popular construction technique in the Northeastern countryside until the beginning of the 20th century. The geological characteristics of the Serra, with many rocky outcrops, provided opportunity for obtaining raw materials, especially limestone.
The rocks were removed with picks and sledgehammers and then cut to achieve the ideal sizes for assembly, performed without cement or mortar. To begin construction, the workers dug a groove on the ground and fit stone over stone in a meticulous and painstaking labour.
Historical Preservation and Restoration
Throughout the Cristalândia construction, large tarpaulins and railings covered the stretches of fence that could be affected. Even so, some spots had to be preventively disassembled to avoid possible damage from the passage of trucks and heavy machinery.
In the final stages of implementation of the wind farm, the original stones, which were manually removed, were reused. The EGP team rebuilt 333 metres of the stone fence, following the original construction layout and using the same fitting technique:
