Mapping Terraces, Mapping Agricultural Practice in the Lake Titicaca Basin, Peru

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In the Lake Titicaca basin of southern Peru, agronomic systems were finely tuned over millennia to the high-altitude environment, an ever-oscillating climate, and dynamic cultural regimes. To succeed in these conditions, prehistoric farmers transformed steep hillsides into viable agricultural land by modifying them into massive agricultural terrace complexes. The crops grown, and llamas grazed on these landscapes provided food security for ancient cities just as they continue to provide security for populations living in the region today. However, very little is known about the development of these agricultural terraces. The Altiplano Agriculture and Communities Project (AACP) conducted pedestrian survey during June and July of 2018 to begin to elucidate patterns throughout the region. A drone was used to make three-dimensional models of the terraces to better understand their dimensions and hydrology. Mapping styles of masonry on terrace walls shed light on regional and chronological variation in terraces. We also identified architecture that marked ownership of terrace plots and walls used to manage the vertical movement of livestock. The preliminary results of AACP’s 2018 survey provide evidence of the varied labor regimes that built and farmed terraces in the south-central Andes.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24679