Xingu peoples Xingu peoples Xingu peoples are indigenous peoples of Brazil living near the Xingu River. They have many cultural similarities despite their different ethnologies. Xingu people represent fifteen tribes and all four of Brazil's indigenous language groups, but they share similar belief systems, rituals and ceremonies. The Upper Xingu region was heavily populated prior to European and African contact. Densely populated settlements developed from 1200 to 1600 CE. Ancient roads and bridges linked communities that were often surrounded by ditches or moats. The villages were pre-planned and featured circular plazas. Archaeologists have unearthed 19 villages so far. Kuikuro oral history says
Xingu-Tocantins-Araguaia moist forests 8 species of primates including the white-nosed saki ("Chiropotes albinasus"), red-handed tamarin ("Saguinus midas"), red-bellied titi ("Callicebus moloch"), Azara's night monkey ("Aotus azarae infulatus") and white-cheeked spider monkey ("Ateles marginatus"). The last two are endemic to this ecoregion and the Tapajós-Xingu moist forests to the west. Other species of mammals include white-lipped peccary ("Tayassu pecari"), collared peccary ("Pecari tajacu"), cougar ("Puma concolor"), jaguar ("Panthera onca"), South American tapir ("Tapirus terrestris"), brocket deer (genus "Mazama"), bare-tailed woolly opossum ("Caluromys philander"), and seven-banded armadillo ("Dasypus septemcinctus"). Endangered mammals include white-cheeked spider monkey ("Ateles marginatus"), black bearded saki ("Chiropotes satanas") and giant otter