Pre-Hispanic anthropogenic wetlands in the upper Ica drainage, south-central Andes: dating and context

Abstract

Humans have engineered their environments throughout the Holocene, especially in the construction of hydraulic infrastructure. In many regions, however, this infrastructure is difficult to date, including the vestiges of water-management systems in the Andean highlands. Focusing on silt reservoirs in the upper Ica drainage, Peru, the authors use cores and radiocarbon dates to demonstrate the pre-Hispanic construction of walls to enhance and expand wetlands for camelid pasture. Interventions dated to the Inca period (AD 1400–1532) indicate an intensification of investment in hydraulic infrastructure to expand production capacity in support of the state. The results are discussed in the context of the hydraulic strategies of other states and empires.

Managing pastoral landscapes: remote survey of herding infrastructure in Huancavelica, Peru

“…2021: 102; Lane et al . 2022: 2). Our data support this, indicating that bofedales in Huancavelica provide perennial pasture and that pastoral infrastructure is located to take advantage of these resources.…”

“…In Suches, Department of Tacna, extremely arid conditions mean that herders rely on bofedales year-round (Vining 2016), whereas wetter conditions in the upper Ica drainage in Huancavelica mean that herders only need to use bofedales during the dry season (Lane et al . 2022: 2). Our dataset documents the occasional presence of corrals in areas without access to bofedales, suggesting that herders in Huancavelica would not have had to rely on bofedales year-round, consistent with the findings of Lane and colleagues (2022).…”

“…2022: 2). Our dataset documents the occasional presence of corrals in areas without access to bofedales, suggesting that herders in Huancavelica would not have had to rely on bofedales year-round, consistent with the findings of Lane and colleagues (2022). Inter- and intra-regional variation in environmental conditions could thus go some way towards explaining differential pasture access.…”

“…The contemporary distribution of bofedales reflects long-term pastoral land management practices. Herders augment bofedales through the construction of features including channels and silt dams, and the practice of periodic deliberate flooding (Palacios Rios 1988;Lane 2006: 498;2009Cooper et al 2010;Verzijl & Guerrero Quispe 2013;Lane et al 2022). In turn, these activities are dynamically related to other elements of pastoral political economies.…”

“…2010; Verzijl & Guerrero Quispe 2013; Lane et al . 2022). In turn, these activities are dynamically related to other elements of pastoral political economies.…”