Document Type
Book Chapter
Date of this Version
2013
Publication Source
Sourcebook for Garden Archaeology: Methods, Techniques, Interpretations and Field Examples
Start Page
723
Last Page
728
Abstract
Circumstances Under Which the Garden was Investigated
In the 1960s and 1970s, vast landscapes of abandoned pre-Columbian raised fields were documented in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Suriname, and Guyana. This form of intensive agriculture is associated with large and dense sedentary populations and in some cases sustained complex sociopolitical organizations. Raised fields are large elevated planting platforms designed to provide drainage and improve soil conditions and fertility. Deep water-filled canals alongside the platforms provide moisture during dry periods, protect crops against frost, and produce organic matter for sustained harvests.
Copyright/Permission Statement
Originally published in Sourcebook for Garden Archaeology: Methods, Techniques, Interpretations and Field Examples © 2013 Peter Lang Publishers. Reproduced with permission.
Recommended Citation
Erickson, C.L. (2013). Raised Fields as Monumental Farmed Landscapes, Lake Titicaca, South America. In Malek, A. (Ed.), Sourcebook for Garden Archaeology: Methods, Techniques, Interpretations, and Field Examples, 723-728. Peter Lang Publishers.
Included in
Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons, Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Food Studies Commons, Landscape Architecture Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, Work, Economy and Organizations Commons
Date Posted:15 August 2018