Formative pre-Hispanic agricultural soils in northwest Argentina

Abstract

Our study area is from an early agricultural archaeological site named “El Tolar” (1st to 9th century AD), located in Tafí Valley (Tucumán, northwest Argentina). The objective was to identify geochemical signatures generated by the sustained agrarian use of soils. Chemical and pedological studies were made in different archaeological contexts. Physical and chemical features, such as bulk density, pH, organic and inorganic phosphorus, and available copper, manganese and iron, were taken into account. The results suggested that a buried paleosol identified was contemporary with the occupation of the site. It also showed characteristics clearly related to pre-Hispanic agrarian production. The concentrations of organic phosphorus and iron in agricultural soils probably reflect the use of fertilizers. The application of geoscience techniques allowed us to obtain important information on their behaviour and socio-economic development. This paper constitutes the first pedogeochemical approach to the study of Argentinean pre-Hispanic agricultural soils.

Anthropogenic Soil Change in Ancient and Traditional Agricultural Fields in Arid to Semiarid Regions of the Americas

“…All the physical soil changes described enhance crop production by increasing topsoil volume and tilth that can be exploited by roots, thereby increasing and facilitating water and nutrient uptake. Specific alteration of soil physical properties for management in terraced soils in the Americas has also been reported by Field (1966), Keeley (1985), and Sampietro Vattuone et al (2011. Some studies of ancient agricultural terraces have revealed complex stratigraphy, with multiple soils and paleosols, indicating multiple use and reconfiguration of terraces during different time periods (Borejsza et al 2008;Branch et al 2007 Another form of intensive soil change in ancient agriculture is the development of greatly thickened soils through long-term accumulation of suspended sediment in fields from irrigation canals.…”

“…But a possible benefit of this carbonate for crops is increased soil water-holding capacity (Duniway et al 2010;Georgen et al 1991). Berlin et al 1977;Borejsza et al 2008;Dart 1986;Davis et al 2000;Edwards 2002;Goodman-Elgar 2008;Sampietro Vattuone et al 2011;Sánchez-Pérez et al 2013;Sandor and Eash 1995;Sandor and Homburg 2015;Sandor et al 1986. See the following for more examples: Arrhenius 1963;Berlin et al 1990;Inbar and Llerena 2000;Keeley 1985Keeley , 1988Kruse-Peeples et al 2009;McAuliffe et al 2001;McClung de Tapia 2012;Sampietro Vattuone et al 2014;Sandor and Eash 1991;Sandor and Gersper 1988;Sandor et al 1990;Sullivan 2000;Zaro et al 2008.…”

Soils in ancient irrigated agricultural terraces in the Atacama Desert, Chile

“…An important kind of anthropogenic soil degradation common in the history of agriculture is accelerated soil erosion (Bell & Boardman, 1992; Dotterweich, 2013; Sandor, 2006). Examples of both soil degradation by erosion and soil conservation in ancient abandoned agricultural terraces have been reported elsewhere in the Andes (Branch et al, 2007; Field, 1966; Goodman‐Elgar, 2008; Inbar & Llerena, 2000; Keeley, 1985; Londoño et al, 2017; Sampietro‐Vattuone et al, 2019, 2011; Sandor & Eash, 1995; Zaro and Umire Alvarez, 2005; Zaro et al, 2008). Have the soils of the study area been seriously eroded, and if so, to what degree?…”

“…In some other areas of the Andes, greater amounts of N and P in ancient and traditional agricultural soils reflect long‐term fertilization with camelid and other manures and other fertilizer materials (Denevan, 2001, pp. 35–38, 168; Goland, 1993; Keeley, 1985; Salminci et al, 2014; Sampietro‐Vattuone et al, 2011; Sandor & Eash, 1995; Winterhalder et al, 1974). For example, N and P levels measured in Colca Valley terraced soils are far higher than in control soils (Sandor & Eash, 1995).…”

Ancient anthropogenic soils and activity areas of the Colombian Andean region: A geoarchaeological approach

“…were gathered from all archaeological excavations. Our method focuses on the analyses of physical and chemical components of the soil and the pedo-stratigraphic relation among soil horizons, micromorphological analysis, the identification of palynomorphs and plant macro-remains, radiometric dating, and the examination of archaeological remains (e.g., Beach et al, 2015;Macphail et al, 2017;Medina et al, 2016;Nanavati et al, 2016;Sampietro et al, 2011) that were combined to explore the site formation processes (Schiffer, 1987).…”