The Most Isolated Man on the Planet

[hellbilly]

http://www.slate.com/id/2264478/

He's an Indian, and Brazilian officials have concluded that he's the last survivor of an uncontacted tribe. They first became aware of his existence nearly 15 years ago and for a decade launched numerous expeditions to track him, to ensure his safety, and to try to establish peaceful contact with him. In 2007, with ranching and logging closing in quickly on all sides, government officials declared a 31-square-mile area around him off-limits to trespassing and development.

[hellbilly]

In case anyone read it..

Any idea what the purpose of the pits he dug was? I'm thinking maybe to trap any critters (or marauding men with chainsaws) who might sneak into his hut while he's sleeping.

[Alex Libman]

I'm surprised it isn't me.   

[Diogenes The Cynic]

In case anyone read it..

Any idea what the purpose of the pits he dug was? I'm thinking maybe to trap any critters (or marauding men with chainsaws) who might sneak into his hut while he's sleeping.

Its not for any practical use. Pits are dug in igloos to let colder air sink into, but this is Brazil, so if anything it might be a hiding place, or form some ritual function.

[Alex Libman]

Or looking for delicious bugs...   

[anarchir]

Maybe rather than move his bed off of the ground, he moves the ground out from under his bed? He can put poles across the pit then lay his bed on it? Or maybe in the case of being attacked by a jaguar or somesuch he can jump in it. 5 feet is enough so he can crouch in it with a spear over his head leaving him in a very well guarded position? Its a lot of work to dig a pit like that even with a modern shovel so he must have a rather important reason for doing so.

[libertylover]

Could be defensive.  Easy to cover and sleep in without fear of a jaguar attack. 

[Riddler]

hello?
indoor latrine.

why inconvenience yourself with schlepping into the forest every time nature calls?

[hellbilly]

Nah, it ain't no latrine. The guy moves around and digs a new one whenever he makes a new hut- and they're all 5 feet deep!

Don't think it's a big cat deterrent either, wouldn't those just jump right in on top of him (even with him having a spear), or they'd just fall in on top of him as they stalked around.

Maybe it is symbolic/religious.. but what could it represent?

[libertylover]

I think the investigators would have smelled the evidence if it were an indoor privy.

They really didn't give the over all dimensions other than the holes are over 5ft deep.  Jaguars climb so being in the tree is not a defensive location.   If you can't construct a strong enough hut.  It might be easier to construct a grid over the top of a hole to keep out a Jaguar. 
Another possibility it is a defensive location in case bulldozers mowed down the hut.  Escape upon hearing the bulldozers might have been too dangerous because the land grabbers were shooting people.

[TimeLady Victorious]

At this point wouldn't it just be a good idea to try to contact him already? There can't be any good served by just leaving him alone.

[BonerJoe]

Who gives a shit. It's a hole. Dug by a guy who wants to kill you. Fuck him.

[anarchir]

At this point wouldn't it just be a good idea to try to contact him already? There can't be any good served by just leaving him alone.

Clearly you didnt read the whole article. Past people who have been trying to contact him have been violently attacked. He shot an arrow through one guy. The language barrier is massive. Not to mention cultural and other problems. Also, they wrote about how past people who were rescued ended up in a worse off situation. Read the damn article or post a TL;DR.

[Riddler]

w/ a privy....you cover over your last contribution w/ the dug-out dirt...ie: no smell
call me a liar?
i seen it done.
ok.
maybe ( i didn see no pics) the pit-in-keshtin served another purpose.
he slept on the other side....& had pungy sticks in the bottom o' the pit (like the viet cong)...
creature-in-the-night has to go over cleverly-disguised pit to get to jajumba (i just named him) & boingo......
fresh meat on skewers

[anarchir]

w/ a privy....you cover over your last contribution w/ the dug-out dirt...ie: no smell
call me a liar?
i seen it done.
ok.
maybe ( i didn see no pics) the pit-in-keshtin served another purpose.
he slept on the other side....& had pungy sticks in the bottom o' the pit (like the viet cong)...
creature-in-the-night has to go over cleverly-disguised pit to get to jajumba (i just named him) & boingo......
fresh meat on skewers

Like I said before, it is VERY difficult to dig such a pit, and for such a small reason. Why wouldnt it be a pit at the edge of the hut then? Why smack dab in the middle.