The two sites currently being excavated as part of the POPARU project, Uruguai 1 and Linha Policial 7, are located at the entrance to the loop formed by the Uruguay River in the Foz do Chapecó region. They are located on either side of the imposing river, slightly downstream of the hydroelectric dam whose construction made their discovery possible. The dam was built over rapids and small waterfalls that cut across the riverbed. This remarkable landscape configuration could be a key factor in understanding the repeated settlements of different human populations at this location over the millennia.