Testing the sustainability and sensitivity to climatic change of terrace agricultural systems in the Peruvian Andes: a pilot study

Branch, N. P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8826-0365, Kemp, R. A., Silva, B., Meddens, F. M., Williams, A., Kendall, A. and Pomacanchari, C. V. (2007) Testing the sustainability and sensitivity to climatic change of terrace agricultural systems in the Peruvian Andes: a pilot study. Journal of Archaeological Science, 34 (1). pp. 1-9. ISSN 0305-4403 doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2006.03.011

Abstract/Summary

The results of an integrated geoarchaeological and palaeoecological pilot study of a prehistoric agricultural terrace and nearby mire basin are presented. They reveal two stages of terrace construction for the cultivation of Zea mays during the Middle Horizon (615–695 AD) and late, Late Intermediate Period (1200–1400 AD). These stages were strongly associated with evidence for vegetation succession, destabilisation and erosion of the surrounding landscape, and changes in mire surface wetness. The reasons for agricultural terrace abandonment and/or reconstruction are uncertain, with only circumstantial evidence for climatically induced agricultural change.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/28714
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Scientific Archaeology Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Department of Geography and Environmental Science Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Department of Archaeology
Publisher	Elsevier
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