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Forests and Farmers: GIS Analysis of Forest Islands and Large Raised Fields in the Bolivian Amazon

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas W. Lee

    (Department of Anthropology, University of Central Florida, Howard Phillips Hall 309, Orlando, FL 32816, USA)

  • John H. Walker

    (Department of Anthropology, University of Central Florida, Howard Phillips Hall 309, Orlando, FL 32816, USA)

Abstract

The Llanos de Mojos of the Bolivian Amazon is a domesticated landscape with a long history of management by pre-Columbian communities. This paper uses a landscape approach to interpret the settlement patterns of pre-Columbian raised-field farmers in west central Mojos. The pre-Columbian landscape was reconstructed by mapping the distribution of three types of landscape features: forest islands, raised agricultural fields, and water systems (rivers, streams and wetlands). Previous research has identified four types of patterned clustering or ‘constellations’ of these landscape features in west central Mojos. These constellations and the immediate area of the landscape that surrounds them afforded Mojos farmers a specific set of tasks or activities to take part in as part of harnessing resources from the landscape. The mapping of landscape features and their associated tasks onto the landscape provides insight into the organization of the communities that constructed and managed them. It was found that the landscape of west central Mojos is organized into two distinct regional patterns. In the northern part of the region, evidence of large farming communities is dispersed along the banks of the permanent rivers with networks of landscape features extending off into remote areas of the savanna. In the southern part of the region, evidence for large farming communities is clustered closer together in remote areas of the savanna with networks of landscape features extending back towards the permanent rivers. The two regions are melded together by a transitional zone that implies a type of interaction between the regions rather than a distinct separation.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas W. Lee & John H. Walker, 2022. "Forests and Farmers: GIS Analysis of Forest Islands and Large Raised Fields in the Bolivian Amazon," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-26, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:5:p:678-:d:807802
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Clark L. Erickson, 2000. "An artificial landscape-scale fishery in the Bolivian Amazon," Nature, Nature, vol. 408(6809), pages 190-193, November.
    2. Umberto Lombardo & José Iriarte & Lautaro Hilbert & Javier Ruiz-Pérez & José M. Capriles & Heinz Veit, 2020. "Early Holocene crop cultivation and landscape modification in Amazonia," Nature, Nature, vol. 581(7807), pages 190-193, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Galina Trebeleva & Andrey Kizilov & Vasiliy Lobkovskiy & Gleb Yurkov, 2022. "Evolving Cultural and Historical Landscapes of Northwestern Colchis during the Medieval Period: Physical Environment and Urban Decline Causes," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Xiaopiao Wu & Zhongfa Zhou & Meng Zhu & Denghong Huang & Changli Zhu & Qing Feng & Wanlin Luo, 2022. "Study on the Coupling Relationship between Relocation for Poverty Alleviation and Spatiotemporal Evolution of Rocky Desertification in Karst Areas of Southwest China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-20, June.
    3. Camila Gianotti & A. César González-García & Nicolás Gazzán & Cristina Cancela-Cereijo & Moira Sotelo, 2023. "Knowledge of the Sky among Indigenous Peoples of the South American Lowlands—First Archaeoastronomical Analyses of Orientations at Mounds in Uruguay," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-24, April.

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