Ancient Amazon Engineering: Umberto Lombardo discovers a Pre-Columbian Green Revolution

Summary

The Llanos de Moxos in the Bolivian Amazon reveals ancient agricultural innovations, with earthworks like mounds, canals, and ponds scattered across 100,000 square kilometers. These structures showcase advanced farming techniques used by pre-Columbian societies, particularly in managing seasonal droughts. Through phytolith analysis, researchers discovered extensive maize cultivation through hydraulic engineering, indicating large-scale monoculture systems. The findings challenge the idea of Amazonian societies as primitive, instead revealing complex, organized societies capable of transforming the environment for agriculture, highlighting the region’s historical significance and agricultural expertise.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Llanos de Moxos in the Bolivian Amazon contains one of the world’s largest concentrations of earthworks, including mounds, ditches, paths, and wells, showcasing the complexity of past societies.
• 😀 The region’s pre-Columbian societies thrived despite an extreme seasonal climate, marked by flooding during the rainy season and drought during the dry season.
• 😀 Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of advanced farming systems that enabled these societies to produce large amounts of food despite the challenging climate.
• 😀 Pre-Columbian societies in the region built artificial hills, some up to 20 meters high and 20 hectares in area, as part of their agricultural and urban planning.
• 😀 Circular depressions in the savannah, originally thought to be natural, were identified as man-made structures designed to grow crops during the dry season.
• 😀 Phytolith analysis revealed that the circular depressions were used for the intensive cultivation of maize, with minimal evidence of other crops.
• 😀 The region’s complex water management system, including canals and artificial ponds, allowed for year-round maize cultivation despite seasonal water shortages.
• 😀 This system represents the only known example of a Neolithic-like revolution in the Amazon, similar to the one that occurred 10,000 years ago in the Middle East.
• 😀 Pre-Columbian societies in the Llanos de Moxos possessed advanced knowledge of soil and hydraulic engineering, allowing them to transform the landscape for agriculture.
• 😀 The findings challenge the traditional view of the Amazon as inhabited by small, primitive hunter-gatherer societies, instead revealing a history of complex societies capable of transforming their environment.

Q & A

What are the Llanos de Moxos, and why are they significant?

The Llanos de Moxos is a vast area in the Bolivian Amazon known for its large concentration of ancient earthworks, including mounds, ditches, paths, and wells. These features demonstrate the advanced agricultural and urban systems of past pre-Columbian societies in the region.

What was the mystery surrounding how these ancient communities survived in the Llanos de Moxos?

The mystery lay in how these communities thrived despite an extreme seasonal climate with extensive floods in the rainy season and severe droughts during the dry season. Archaeological evidence now shows that advanced farming systems enabled them to produce food during these challenging periods.

What types of structures did pre-Columbian societies build in the Llanos de Moxos, and what purpose did they serve?

Pre-Columbian societies built artificial hills, or 'lomas,' which could reach up to 20 meters in height and cover areas of up to 20 hectares. These structures were part of a complex urban system, connected by embankments and canals, indicative of advanced water management and urban planning.

How did the circular depressions found in the region contribute to agricultural practices?

The circular depressions were man-made structures designed to retain water during the dry season. They allowed for irrigation and were primarily used for cultivating maize, ensuring crops could grow even when water was scarce.

What are phytoliths, and why are they important in understanding the agriculture of the region?

Phytoliths are microscopic silica bodies found in plants. They are preserved in soil after the plants die and decompose. By studying phytoliths, archaeologists can determine which crops, such as maize, were cultivated in ancient agricultural systems, providing insight into the scale and type of farming practices used.

What does the discovery of large amounts of maize phytoliths in the circular depressions suggest about the agricultural practices?

The abundance of maize phytoliths in the circular depressions suggests that the water management systems were specifically designed for maize monoculture, allowing for large-scale cultivation of maize, potentially twice a year, in the region.

How does the hydraulic engineering system found in the Llanos de Moxos compare to similar systems elsewhere?

The hydraulic engineering system in the Llanos de Moxos is unique in the Amazon region, resembling the Neolithic Revolution in the Middle East. The system of canals and ponds used to manage water for agriculture is the only example of its kind in the Amazon, demonstrating advanced knowledge of water management and farming.

What role did the water management system play in the cultivation of crops in the dry season?

The water management system, which included canals and ponds, ensured that water was available during the dry season. This allowed for consistent cultivation of maize, as the ponds could provide irrigation and retain enough water to support crops through extended dry spells.

How does the research challenge previous perceptions about Amazonian societies?

The research challenges the view that Amazonian societies were simple, primitive, and dependent on hunting and gathering. Instead, it reveals that complex societies existed in the Amazon, capable of managing their environment and developing sophisticated agricultural systems.

What evidence supports the idea that the societies in the Llanos de Moxos transformed the landscape?

Evidence such as the enduring artificial mounds, canals, and the unique water management systems demonstrates that these societies not only adapted to their environment but actively transformed it to support large-scale agriculture, particularly maize cultivation.