Land management and soil degradation evidence during the Late Holocene in Northwest Argentina (La Costa 2 - Tafí valley)

Sampietro-Vattuone, María Marta; Peña-Monné, Jose Luís; Roldán, Jimena; Dip, Alejandra Belén; Maldonado, Mario Gabriel; Lefebvre, María Lorena; Vattuone, Marta Amelia

doi:10.1016/j.catena.2019.104115

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…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?…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

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

et al. 2021

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The Atacama Desert is among the driest places on Earth, yet ancient agricultural systems are present in the region. Here, we present a study of terraced agricultural soils in the high‐altitude eastern margin of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, mainly dating to the Late Intermediate Period (ca. 950–1400 AD) and Inka period (ca. 1400–1536 AD). Terraced fields were compartmentalized to distribute limited irrigation water originating mainly from springs. Natural soils used for agriculture are mostly Aridisols developed on Pleistocene alluvial fan terraces and hillslopes underlain by volcanic bedrock. One research objective is to evaluate long‐term soil change from agriculture. In this hyperarid climate, agriculture is only possible with irrigation, so natural soils on the same geomorphic surface adjacent to irrigated soils provide baseline data for assessing anthropogenic soil change. Data from soil profiles and surface transects indicate intentional soil change through terracing, removal of soil rock fragments, and probable fertilization. Agricultural soils have anthropogenic horizons ranging from 16 to 54 cm thick. Most agricultural soils have higher phosphorus levels, suggesting enrichment from fertilization. Changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen are also evident. Unintentional anthropogenic soil change resulted from CaCO3 input through irrigation with calcareous spring water. Initial studies suggest that agriculture here was sustainable in the sense of conserving soils, and maintaining and possibly improving soil productivity over centuries.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

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

et al. 2021

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“…BP). Recent studies carried out an evolutionary geomorphological model of the Lateglacial and Holocene accumulations in the valleys determining four degradation stages dated between 13,000 and 630 a BP with 14 C, thermo Luminiscence and tephra layers underlying charcoal samples [30,31,38] (Table 1).…”

Section: Regional Geologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dating made by Powell and González [24], Spagnuolo et al [25], Georgieff and Díaz [26], Butler et al [27], Marshall and Patterson [28], Strecker et al [29]. Identification of quaternary morphosedimentary units by Peña Monné and Sampietro Vattuone [30] and Sampietro Vattuone et al [31]. Q: Quaternary.…”

Section: Regional Structuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Piedmont deposits as seismic energy dissipators, Sierras Pampeanas of Argentina

et al. 2021

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This study shows the neotectonic deformation occurred in the southern piedmont of the Cumbres Calchaquíes, in the Amaicha and Tafí valleys. Neotectonic deformation manifests itself through faults, folds and diversions of drainage channels. The Amaicha valley is bounded to the north by the Tafí del Valle fault and to the south by the Los Cardones fault. The Cumbres Calchaquíes ride over the Sierra de Aconquija through the Los Cardones and Carapunco faults. The Carapunco fault also has a synestral component, responsible for generating an imbricated system of contractional fractures. In the study region many earthquakes of ≥ 3 and ≥ 4 magnitude coincide with regional faults evidencing its neotectonic activity. The seismic energy dissipated through materials with less cohesion that form the fill of the valleys, generating discrete fault scarps and strongly folded conglomerate strata. The foothills deposits of the Cumbres Calchaquíes absorbed most of the seismic energy released during the reactivation of the faults. Tectonic activity is deforming 630 a BP deposits in the Cumbres Calchaquíes piedmont.

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“…En definitiva, la extensión que ocupan las unidades H2 en el mapa es el reflejo geomorfológico producto de los procesos de morfogénesis acelerada, desencadenados por la sobreexplotación del valle durante el período agroalfarero prehispánico (Sampietro-Vattuone y Peña-Monné 2019b;Sampietro-Vattuone et al 2019). De acuerdo a la información recuperada, las características del paisaje actual se deben, en gran medida, al efecto de los procesos morfodinámicos acaecidos durante ese período; a esto se suma la intensa ocupación del terreno, tanto con fines residenciales, como de producción mediante la construcción de sistemas de terrazas que aún están presente en la actualidad (muy degradados en algunos sectores).…”

Section: El Caso Del Valle De Tafíunclassified

Escalas de análisis en geoarqueología: aplicación en un valle del noroeste de Argentina

Vattuone

Monné

2020

BOLARQ

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Los estudios geoarqueológicos constituyen un gran aporte frente a otros enfoques para la comprensión de las sociedades humanas del pasado, dada la complejidad que pueden alcanzar en el manejo de múltiples líneas de evidencia. La construcción de un modelo geoarqueológico de una región implica el manejo conjunto de diversas escalas temporales y espaciales, lo cual otorga riqueza a las interpretaciones y una perspectiva coevolutiva de las variables culturales y naturales, muchas veces interpretadas como opuestas y antagónicas. El objetivo de este trabajo, es mostrar, cómo la geoarqueología puede constituir una herramienta de aproximación ágil al conocimiento de las sociedades del pasado, la reconstrucción del paisaje, de los paleoambientes del momento y de la cultura material a través de diversas escalas espacio-temporales de análisis. Estas escalas pueden estructurarse hasta generar un todo integrado y articulado para producir inferencias fiables de procesos que se entrelazan en un continuum espaciotemporal. Para ello se ilustra el proceso con los resultados obtenidos en las últimas décadas de trabajo en el valle de Tafí (Tucumán, Argentina) incluyendo ejemplos de articulación entre la escala regional, escala intermedia y escala de detalle.

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Land management and soil degradation evidence during the Late Holocene in Northwest Argentina (La Costa 2 - Tafí valley)

Cited by 10 publications

References 42 publications

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

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

Piedmont deposits as seismic energy dissipators, Sierras Pampeanas of Argentina

Escalas de análisis en geoarqueología: aplicación en un valle del noroeste de Argentina

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