Black carbon, charcoal and mercury fluxes were measured from sediment cores taken in an artificial water dam in an intense land use change area in the Alta Floresta district in the Brazilian Amazon, in order to characterize the differences in the evolution of human occupation patterns in the region during the last 18 years. A positive correlation between the black carbon and charcoal particle fluxes and the evolution of the Brazilian gross domestic production (GDP) was observed. Mercury fluxes showed a positive correlation with gold production and exhibited a distinct evolution pattern when compared to in relation to the forest fires indicators and Brazilian GDP. The fluxes of forest fires markers showed an increase in deforestation activities in the region after 1993. Mercury deposition showed a substantial decrease after 1994. The patterns of distribution in both forest fires tracers and gold mining tracers indicate substitution of the regional economic model. It also marked different antropogenic impact type in the ecosystem. Copyright © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.