Overview

The Andes and Amazonia are two of the harshest regions on earth. The opportunities for productive agriculture, even with modern methods, seem limited, given conditions of climate, terrain, and soils. Nevertheless, indigenous people, both prehistoric and more recent, have developed systems of cultivation that have been intensive, highly productive, and sustainable, reclaiming marginal lands and supporting large numbers of people and complex societies. This book examines Indian agriculture in South America. The focus is on field types and field technologies, including agricultural landforms such as terraces, canals, and drained fields, which have persisted for hundreds of years. The evidence utilized comes from abandoned fields, historical documents, and current practices. What emerges is a picture of mostly successful indigenous farming practices in rain forests, savannahs, swamps, rugged mountains, and deserts. And while this knowledge may not always be directly applicable to development today, it does provide us with some unique techniques and some basic principles for farming difficult environments.

Full Product Details

Author:   Denevan
Publisher:   Oxford University Press
Imprint:   Oxford University Press
Edition:   New edition
Dimensions:   Width: 15.70cm , Height: 2.40cm , Length: 23.30cm
Weight:   0.761kg
ISBN:  

9780199257690

ISBN 10:   0199257698
Pages:   426
Publication Date:   09 January 2003
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

PART I. Fields and associated features 1: Introduction: research on indigenous cultivation in the Americas 2: Classification of field types 3: Crops, tools, and soft technology PART II. Amazonian cultivation 4: A diversity of Habitats and field systems 5: Fields of the Mojo, Campa, Bora, Shipibo, and Karinya 6: Pre-European riverine cultivation 7: Pre-European forest cultivation PART III. Andean irrigation and terracing 8: Irrigated fields 9: Terraced fields 10: Terrace and irrigation origins and abandonment in the Colca valley PART IV. Raised and drained fields 11: Lost systems of cultivation 12: The Mojos raised fields 13: The Titicaca raised fields 14: Ditched fields, drainage canals, and river canalization PART V. Conclusions 15: Implications of indigenous agricultural technology APPENDICES 1A Cultivated plants of South America 1B Roster of cultivated plants by species name

Reviews

`Review from previous edition An excellent synthesis of indigenous South American agriculture' Journal of Latin American Studies

... a detailed academic, yet readable, picture of farming practices in environments ranging from rain forests and mountains to swamps and deserts. British Bulletin of Publications Not only is it a rich source for studying the cultural heritage of indigenous agriculture and a testimony to the author's impressive research contribution; it could and should also be an incentive for continued scholarly activity on a fascinating topic. Christoph Stadel, Mountain Research and Development Vol 25 No 4 Nov 2005

... a detailed academic, yet readable, picture of farming practices in environments ranging from rain forests and mountains to swamps and deserts. British Bulletin of Publications Not only is it a rich source for studying the cultural heritage of indigenous agriculture and a testimony to the author's impressive research contribution; it could and should also be an incentive for continued scholarly activity on a fascinating topic. Christoph Stadel, Mountain Research and Development Vol 25 No 4 Nov 2005

`Review from previous edition An excellent synthesis of indigenous South American agriculture' Journal of Latin American Studies

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