According to the classic dichotomy between nature and society, few ecosystems are considered as natural tropical forests. The dense tropical forest of Rio de Janeiro are actually very far from being a pristine landscape. Our standing point was the exploration of the paleo-territories used by slaves, ex-slaves, and charcoal producers from the 19th century on the mountains of Rio de Janeiro. We examine the historical processes related of human presence on the ecosystems, by the way of exploring about 12,000 ha of Pedra Branca Massif looking for charcoal kilns, archeological artifacts, and ruins of charcoal makers. Despite it dense forest, our field works indicated that the Pedra Branca Massif was intensely occupied from the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century. Our research localized 997 abandoned charcoal kilns spread on slopes nowadays covered by secondary forest. The study of this charcoal kilns and its spacialization patterns can highlight this hidden historiography as its uses landscapes as a historical document.