Ancient Casarabe Society Built Advanced Irrigation System for Year-Round Maize Farming
Recent research reveals a sophisticated water management system in the Bolivian Amazon that supported large-scale maize monoculture and pre-Columbian urbanism.
- The Casarabe culture, active between 500 and 1400 AD in the Bolivian Amazon, developed an innovative irrigation and drainage system to farm maize year-round.
- Their agricultural engineering included extensive drainage canals and farm ponds, enabling cultivation during both rainy and dry seasons.
- This system supported at least two annual maize harvests, providing a stable food supply for a relatively large population and fostering urban development.
- Unlike traditional slash-and-burn methods, the Casarabe preserved surrounding forests while focusing on intensive maize monoculture in seasonally flooded savannas.
- The findings challenge previous assumptions about Amazonian agriculture and offer insights into sustainable farming practices in challenging environments.
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