Neolithic Farmers Developed Harvested Floodwater to Create Complex Drainage and Irrigation Systems

A team of researchers recently published some insightful findings regarding a pre-Columbian society in the Amazon. This group that lived in present-day Llanos de Moxos in Bolivia created a landscape engineering system that allowed them to cultivate maize all year long, stated Science Daily. The arrangement involved the creation of extensive drainage canals and farm ponds. Analysis of this unique methodology was published in the journal Nature. 

Researchers claimed that this technique was developed by Casarabe people who lived in the locality between 500 and 1400 A.D. Experts stated that the region experiences extreme spells of rainy and dry seasons which has continued since the Neolithic times.

The study noted the construction of drainage canals and several farm ponds. Researchers think the drainage canals removed excess water during the rainy season from the field while the farm ponds became water reservoirs during the dry season. The dual-water management system allowed the Casarabe population to harvest maize twice, ensuring a stable supply of the crop throughout the whole year.

The state of the area also indicated to experts that the infrastructure did not employ traditional slash-and-burn techniques to create fertile fields. Researchers think the group protected nearby forests to garner firewood and natural medicines. The team speculates that the community employed practices that enabled them to manage the water and soil better to cultivate their crop of choice. The whole study was done by combining fieldwork with techniques such as environmental archeology, microbotanical analysis, and remote sensing. The examination took into consideration 178 phytolith (plant microfossils) and pollen samples from farm ponds. 

Researchers claimed that the system uncovered in Bolivia is the oldest example of such infrastructure ever found by archeologists. The team further stated that the findings showcase the importance of this crop amongst the Casarabe people. "This intensive agricultural strategy indicates that maize was not only cultivated but was likely the staple crop of the Casarabe culture," explained Umberto Lombardo, an environmental archaeologist and author of the study. The fossils and pollen showed no signs of other crops apart from Maize.

The findings imply several previous assertions regarding Amazon cultivation to be wrong. Researchers claim that this is the first example of an economic system in Amazon that was driven by a single crop. Experts thought that Amazon communities were involved in polyculture, meaning farming many crops together, but here it was clearly not the case "We can document that this is the first grain-based agrarian economy in the Amazon, where until now it was believed that agriculture was based on agroforestry polyculture and not on large-scale monocultures. Now we know that this was not the case in Llanos de Moxos," explained Lombardo.

Experts associated with the study were astounded by the expertise showcased by the Casarbe people. The infrastructure enabled them to ensure a steady supply of food even in a challenging environment. Such a system allowed them to enjoy a steady population growth. According to researchers, the area serves as an example for modern groups who strive to achieve such stability.