The model of continental growth by accretion of younger geotectonic provinces around an Archean nucleus was challenged by the discovery of sinuous high-grade belts in the central Guiana Shield that crossed the geochronological provinces. In fact it demonstrated it is just as important to take into account lithostratigraphy and structure in the tectonic history, as the age of primary crystallisation of magmas from the mantle on which the geochronological provinces are based. Only the Rio Negro Block in the westernmost part of the Guiana Shield accreted during the Querary Orogeny (1.85-1.72 Ga). Mantle plumes are held responsible for the extensive felsic Orocaima magmatism (1.99-1.96 Ga) in the central Guiana Shield and the 1.89-1.82 Ga Uatumã felsic magmatism in the southernmost part.