Raised Fields and Sustainable Agriculture in the Lake Titicaca Basin of Peru

Abstract

Many non-western traditional agricultural systems have been proven to be highly productive, ecologically sound, and sustainable (Altieri 1983; Denevan 1980; Wilken 1987). Although they supported hundreds of generations of farmers, many of these systems have not survived into historic times (Denevan 1970, 1983; Turner and Harrison 1983). While most of the surviving systems continue because of their resilience and ecological stability, many others have or are in the process of disappearing in the face of major social, economic, and political changes occurring in developing countries (Altieri 1983; Denevan 1980; Wilken 1987). The reconstruction of raised fields in the Lake Titicaca Basin illustrates the role archaeology can play in developing alternative technologies. Because raised field agriculture was completely abandoned in the Andes, archaeological methods provide the only means to understand the history of the system and to develop models for its proper rehabilitation. Excavation indicates that the prehistoric abandonment of the raised fields was due to socio-political changes rather than environmental limitations or change. This implies that, with proper consideration of the contemporary socio-economic context and the ecologically sound prehistoric models, raised field agriculture has productive potential for the future of development in the Lake Titicaca Basin (Erickson 1988; Candler and Erickson 1987). This paper presents a summary of the results from 5 years of raised field reconstruction by the Proyecto Agicola de los Campos Elevados, in conjunction with the 5 Quechua communities in and around the District of Huatta, Peru (Figure 1). Raised fields are a highly productive Raised Fields in Peru 's Titicaca Basin 231