Mapping Agricultural Terraces in Italy. Methodologies Applied in the MAPTER Project

Ferrarese, Francesco; Pappalardo, Salvatore Eugenio; Cosner, Alberto; Brugnaro, Stefano; Alum, Kaodi; Pozzo, Angelica Dal; M, De Marchi

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-96815-5_11

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…For Cutamalla, a high-resolution DEM was acquired in 2011 by aerial photogrammetry using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as part of the Nasca-Palpa Project (Friedli and Theiler, 2014). The main advantages of creating DEMs based on UAV flights, especially for small study areas, are the low effort required for implementation and the cost and time savings during fieldwork (Uysal et al, 2015;Ferrarese et al, 2019). In Cutamalla, two Falcon 8 UAVs, each equipped with a Sony NEX 5 compact digital camera, L1 GPS antenna, and MEMS IMU, were used to capture the images.…”

Section: Photogrammetric Documentation and Dem Generationmentioning

confidence: 99%

An integrative approach to ancient agricultural terraces and forms of dependency: the case of Cutamalla in the prehispanic Andes

Mader,

Godde,

Behl

et al. 2024

Front. Environ. Archaeol.

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This paper presents an integrative and interdisciplinary approach to the study of ancient agricultural terraces and food production systems. Our approach consists of (1) a resource dependency theoretical framework and (2) the application of a variety of archaeological and geoscientific methods, including archaeological and geomorphological surveys, archaeological excavations, drone surveys, mapping based on satellite imagery and high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs), geographic information system (GIS) applications, soil testing, phytolith analysis, radiocarbon dating, and calculations of food supply capacity and labor requirements. We apply these to the prehispanic site of Cutamalla (3,300 m asl) in the southern Peruvian Andes, which serves as an ideal and pioneering case study. Previous research has focused primarily on the settlement of Cutamalla, particularly through large-scale archaeological excavations, but less attention has been paid to the extensive farming terraces surrounding the settlement and the close relationship between agricultural and settlement activities. By analyzing both the terrace and settlement levels, we take a new perspective and introduce the term agricultural terrace-settlement system for such complexes. Our results show that the residential occupation of Cutamalla and the use of the surrounding farming terraces coincided: the agricultural terrace-settlement system was intensively used for a relatively short period of about 200 years (~250–40 BCE) during the Formative Late Paracas and transitional Initial Nasca periods, long before the famous Inka terrace agricultural systems. There is no evidence of reoccupation of the site and subsequent reuse of the agricultural system. Our data also document the large extent of agricultural terraces around Cutamalla (221 ha) and that maize was likely a major crop grown there. Finally, we place these findings in their broader socio-economic and ecological context. Cutamalla was an important regional center and economic hub during a very dynamic period characterized by significant population growth and increased violence. Not only a more humid climate, but probably also forced collective labor were cornerstones of substantial agricultural production in Cutamalla and the region.

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Section: Photogrammetric Documentation and Dem Generationmentioning

confidence: 99%

An integrative approach to ancient agricultural terraces and forms of dependency: the case of Cutamalla in the prehispanic Andes

Mader,

Godde,

Behl

et al. 2024

Front. Environ. Archaeol.

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“…In the Alpine region, the EU Interreg project ALPTER [22] and the MAPTER surveys [23,24] in Italy documented the massive abandonment of terraced landscapes and identified the main causes of their degradation, mainly the abandonment of traditional agriculture and sustainable land management practices. In addition to environmental, social and economic values, terraced landscapes have a high cultural value, many of them being included in the UNESCO World Heritage list as "cultural landscapes" (e.g., Cinque Terre and Costiera amalfitana).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Terraced Landscapes Regeneration in the Perspective of the Circular Economy

Gravagnuolo

Varotto

2021

Sustainability

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Terraced landscapes were for centuries forms of sustainable and multifunctional land management, results of a long and intimate relationship between peoples and their environment. They demonstrated a rich cultural diversity and agrobiodiversity through sustainable land-use systems. These productive cultural landscapes in many cases were expressions of a pre-industrial circular model of rural development, where no resource was wasted. However, not all terraced landscapes have to be considered sustainable in themselves: in recent times, the terraces have undergone changes that have threatened their sustainability with abandonment and degradation as well as exclusively productive exploitation. This paper explores whether and how terraced landscape can recover an active role in modern society, analyzing emerging terraces recovery practices from the perspective of the circular economy. Innovative circular and productive uses of abandoned terraced landscapes aim at reducing the waste of natural and cultural resources, enlarging the lifetime (use value) of landscapes and preserving cultural and natural values for present and future generations. Results show that new functional uses of terraced landscapes are able to enhance in different ways their role as “middle landscapes” or places of mediation among economic, ecologic, ethical and aesthetic needs through circular adaptive reuse practices, becoming key drivers of new “circular” economies and a new pact between rural and urban regions.

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“…As a result, terraces are now a ubiquitous feature in many mountainous regions all over the world [3,[5][6][7][8][9][10] and have been recognized as a distinct element of a region's cultural identity and heritage because they form important landscape elements and characterize a territory due to their particular design [3,5,11,12]. Even within the same country and if the intent was to cultivate the same crop, it is often possible to find terraces that are designed in very different manners, e.g., different height, using different types and sizes of stones, and with different arrangements for water regulation [1,3,[13][14][15]. In Tuscany, the terraced vineyards and olive groves are a cultural landmark that is recognized by locals and foreign visitors alike [1,3,16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated Low-Cost Approach for Measuring the State of Conservation of Agricultural Terraces in Tuscany, Italy

Cambi

Giambastiani

Giannetti

et al. 2021

Water

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Agricultural terraces are an important element of the Italian landscape. However, abandonment of agricultural areas and increase in the frequency of destructive rainfall events has made it mandatory to increase conservation efforts of terraces to reduce hydrological risks. This requires the development of new approaches capable of identifying and mapping failed or prone-to-fail terraces over large areas. The present work focuses on the development of a more cost-effective alternative, to help public administrators and private land owners to identify fragile areas that may be subject to failure due to the abandonment of terracing systems. We developed a simple field protocol to acquire quantitative measurements of the degree of damage—dry stone wall deformation—and establish a damage classification system. This new methodology is tested at two different sites in Tuscany, central Italy. The processing is based on existing DTMs derived from Airborne Laser Scanner (ALS) data and open source software. The main GIS modules adopted are flow accumulation and water discharge, processed with GRASS GIS. Results show that the damage degree and terrace wall deformation are correlated with flow accumulation even if other factors other than those analyzed can contribute to influence the instability of dry stone walls. These tools are useful for local land management and conservation efforts.

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Mapping Agricultural Terraces in Italy. Methodologies Applied in the MAPTER Project

Cited by 7 publications

References 10 publications

An integrative approach to ancient agricultural terraces and forms of dependency: the case of Cutamalla in the prehispanic Andes

An integrative approach to ancient agricultural terraces and forms of dependency: the case of Cutamalla in the prehispanic Andes

Terraced Landscapes Regeneration in the Perspective of the Circular Economy

Integrated Low-Cost Approach for Measuring the State of Conservation of Agricultural Terraces in Tuscany, Italy

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