Over 10,000 years ago, ancient human settlers began the construction of around 4,700 artificial forest islands in ancient Amazonia, according to the results of a recently-published paper. Archaeologists believe that the islands were used for farming, and that they can still be seen to this day.
[...] The team used satellite data to map 6,643 forest islands located in present-day Llanos de Moxos, Bolivia. Of these, 82 were surveyed, samples were taken from 30, and four were excavated.
Sixty-three of the islands were found to harbor dark sediments rich in organic matter including charcoal, burnt earth, animal bones and shells, which are indications of human occupation. It was concluded that they were not existing landscape features, and had instead been constructed completely artificially for the purpose of cultivating food.
Based on their findings, the researchers extrapolated that ancient settlers gradually built around 4,700 islands on which to grow food, with construction starting over 10,000 years ago. These forest islands had an average size of 0.5 hectares (1.2 acres), and were raised 0.5-3m (1.6-9.8 ft) above the savanna in order to remain above the water level during the wet season.
Researchers posit that the area represents another birthplace of agriculture, similar to Meso-America, Egypt, the Indus Valley, and others.
Journal Reference:
Umberto Lombardo, José Iriarte, Lautaro Hilbert et al. Early Holocene crop cultivation and landscape modification in Amazonia, Nature (DOI: doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2162-7)
Source: University of Exeter.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Arik on Sunday April 12 2020, @10:40AM (3 children)
At any rate, several thousand years later, maize finally arrived. But there seems to be no mention of beans. That's disappointing. Beans are a critical and necessary addition to make this a remotely healthy diet, without rather large and regular additions of food from outside the system (most likely from hunting and gathering activities.)
Manioc alone is just starch, pure carbs. A powerful booster on top of a hunter/gatherer diet, but utterly insufficient to sustain life over any long term by itself.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday April 12 2020, @02:22PM
640 calories ought to be enough for anybody.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Sunday April 12 2020, @03:26PM (1 child)
(Score: 2) by Arik on Sunday April 12 2020, @05:35PM
It makes sense to me that squash would have come first, because it's the one that usually requires the least protection from animals. The first stage of domestication would have been scattering seeds at particular spots and returning to those spots later to harvest, and squash would be obviously advantageous for this as few animals can eat it and most avoid it.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?