Archaeologists discover 1,500-year-old advanced farming in Amazon – Interesting Engineering
Archaeologists discover 1,500-year-old advanced farming in Amazon Interesting Engineering
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This research challenges numerous assumptions about large-scale monoculture agriculture and how it was thought to be impossible in the Amazon.
Published: Jan 29, 2025 11:00 AM EST
Introduction
An international group of scholars has recently discovered and proved that one civilization in the Amazon successfully developed an advanced agricultural system that allowed them to plant maize crops year-round.
This research challenges numerous assumptions about large-scale monoculture agriculture and how it was thought to be impossible, given the region’s challenging environment.
The Casarabe people of Bolivia’s Llanos de Moxos implemented a variety of engineering techniques that drastically increased their maize yields, making the crop a staple of their diet.
Engineering an agricultural revolution
Llanos de Moxos is known to be both a savannah and the location of the Amazon basin, which floods seasonally. The area experiences extreme rainfall coupled with long droughts.
Despite these extreme conditions, the Casarabe civilization flourished here between 500 AD and 1400 AD, and they mastered the regulation of available water through innovative landscape management techniques that included drainage canals and farm ponds.
During the rainy season, the Casarabe people diverted the excess water away from cultivated fields, which prevented waterlogging. During the dry months, the farm ponds functioned as reservoirs and ensured a consistent supply of water for irrigation. This strategic approach allowed for continuous maize production, resulting in at least two annual harvests.
The first monoculture system in the Amazon
Lombardo’s research contradicts the previously held common perceptions about the Amazon rainforest, that it does not sustain any type of agriculture farming, and hence its residents were dependent on slash-and-burn farming.
Unlike the slash-and-burn agricultural techniques commonly associated with early Amazonian societies, the Casarabe people preserved surrounding forests, using them for firewood, medicinal plants, and other resources while concentrating their farming efforts on seasonally flooded savannahs.
Microbotanical analysis played a crucial role in confirming the extent of maize cultivation by the Casarabe people. Researchers analyzed 178 phytolith (plant microfossil) and pollen samples taken from a farm pond and found conclusive evidence of maize farming, with no traces of other domesticated crops.
A legacy of agricultural ingenuity
The Casarabe civilization was incredibly skilled at controlling and manipulating their surroundings. Their style of farming was effective in improving yield and was also sustainable, promoting food security for years. This discovery illustrates the significance of landscaping in the building of ancient civilizations and highlights how people survived extreme weather.
Conclusion
In addition to its archaeological relevance, this research is beneficial in modern farming as well. Current water scarcity, coupled with climate change, requires looking back at how previous societies thrived in inhospitable agricultural circumstances.
The dualistic Casarabe water management system had the potential to change the way water was managed through both retention and removal. Today, such innovations can aid in cultivating land in areas prone to floods or severe drought.
The study has been published in Nature.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
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SDGs Addressed:
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
- SDG 13: Climate Action
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Targets Identified:
- Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
- Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity.
- Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
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Indicators:
- Indicator 2.4.1: Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture.
- Indicator 6.4.1: Change in water-use efficiency over time.
- Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.
Analysis
The article discusses the discovery of an advanced agricultural system in the Amazon by the Casarabe civilization. This is relevant to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their targets:
SDG 2: Zero Hunger
The article highlights how the advanced agricultural system allowed the Casarabe people to cultivate maize crops year-round, making it a staple of their diet. This aligns with SDG 2, which aims to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
The Casarabe civilization developed innovative landscape management techniques, including drainage canals and farm ponds, to regulate water and ensure a consistent supply for irrigation. This relates to SDG 6, which focuses on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
SDG 13: Climate Action
The Casarabe people’s agricultural system demonstrates resilience and adaptation to extreme weather conditions in the Amazon, such as heavy rainfall and long droughts. This aligns with SDG 13, which aims to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
Based on the content of the article, the following targets can be identified:
Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
The advanced agricultural system developed by the Casarabe civilization demonstrates sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. Their techniques also contribute to maintaining ecosystems and strengthening capacity for adaptation to climate change and extreme weather conditions.
Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity.
The Casarabe people’s innovative water management techniques, including drainage canals and farm ponds, contribute to increased water-use efficiency and sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater. Their system helps address water scarcity and reduces the number of people suffering from water scarcity.
Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
The Casarabe people’s agricultural system demonstrates resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters, such as extreme rainfall and long droughts. Their techniques can serve as an example for strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity in other countries.
The article mentions or implies the following indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:
Indicator 2.4.1: Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture.
The advanced agricultural system developed by the Casarabe civilization can be considered as productive and sustainable agriculture. This indicator can measure the proportion of agricultural areas adopting similar practices.
Indicator 6.4.1: Change in water-use efficiency over time.
The Casarabe people’s water management techniques contribute to increased water-use efficiency. This indicator can measure the change in water-use efficiency over time in agricultural systems and other sectors.
Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.
The Casarabe people’s agricultural system demonstrates resilience to climate-related hazards and natural disasters. This indicator can measure the impact of disasters on population health and well-being.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 2: Zero Hunger | Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality. | Indicator 2.4.1: Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture. |
| SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation | Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity. | Indicator 6.4.1: Change in water-use efficiency over time. |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. | Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population. |
Source: interestingengineering.com
