An international team of researchers has uncovered evidence of a sophisticated agricultural system developed by the Casarabe civilization in Bolivia's Llanos de Moxos. Their mastery of landscape engineering allowed them to cultivate maize year-round, challenging long-held assumptions about Amazonian agriculture.
An international group of scholars has recently uncovered and confirmed the existence of a sophisticated agricultural system developed by a civilization in the Amazon . This discovery challenges long-held assumptions about large-scale monoculture agriculture, particularly in the region's challenging environment. The Casarabe people of Bolivia's Llanos de Moxos implemented innovative engineering techniques that dramatically increased their maize production, making it a staple of their diet.
'We can document that this is the first grain-based agrarian economy in the Amazon, where until now it was believed that agriculture was based on agroforestry polyculture and not on large-scale monocultures. Now we know that this was not the case in Llanos de Moxos,' says study author Umberto Lombardo.Llanos de Moxos, situated at the intersection of a savannah and the Amazon basin, experiences both seasonal flooding and extreme weather conditions, including heavy rainfall followed by prolonged droughts. Despite these challenges, the Casarabe civilization thrived between 500 AD and 1400 AD, mastering the regulation of water resources through ingenious landscape management techniques. They constructed drainage canals to divert excess water away from cultivated fields during the rainy season, preventing waterlogging. During the dry months, they utilized farm ponds as reservoirs, ensuring a consistent water supply for irrigation. This strategic approach enabled continuous maize cultivation, yielding at least two harvests annually.Lombardo's research contradicts prevailing notions about the Amazon rainforest's inability to support large-scale agricultural practices, leading to the belief that its inhabitants relied solely on slash-and-burn farming. Unlike the slash-and-burn techniques commonly associated with early Amazonian societies, the Casarabe people preserved surrounding forests, using them for firewood, medicinal plants, and other resources. They concentrated their farming efforts on seasonally flooded savannahs, demonstrating a sustainable approach to agriculture. Microbotanical analysis, conducted on 178 phytolith (plant microfossil) and pollen samples extracted from a farm pond, provided conclusive evidence of extensive maize cultivation. No traces of other domesticated crops were found, confirming the dominance of monoculture in their agricultural system.The Casarabe civilization's agricultural ingenuity offers valuable insights into the development of ancient civilizations and their ability to adapt to challenging environments. Their successful management of water resources, coupled with their focus on monoculture maize production, highlights the importance of landscape engineering in building sustainable agricultural systems. This discovery has implications beyond archaeology, providing inspiration for modern farming practices facing water scarcity and climate change. The Casarabe's dualistic water management system, involving both retention and removal techniques, presents a potential model for managing water resources in flood-prone or drought-stricken areas
Science History Casarabe Civilization Amazon Monoculture Maize Agriculture Water Management Llanos De Moxos
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