The Transformation of Environment into Landscape: The Historical Ecology of Monumental Earthwork Construction in the Bolivian Amazon

Abstract

Although the Neotropics are recognized as a region rich in biological diversity, the origin, evolution, and maintenance of this phenomenon continues to be debated. Historical ecologists and landscape archaeologists point out that the Neotropics have a long, complex human history that may have been a key factor in the creation, shaping, and management of present day biodiversity. The construction of monumental earthworks referred to as ring ditches of the Bolivian Amazon and surrounding regions in late prehistory had considerable impact on the fauna, flora, soils, and topography of forest islands. Patterned landscape features, historical documents, energetics, and historical ecology are used to understand the transformation of forest islands into anthropogenic built environments

Eco-archaeological regions in the Bolivian Amazon

“…Why these earthworks were built is controversial. Many authors have interpreted them as defensive structures that included a palisade (Erickson 2010). However, no evidence of post holes or other kinds of defensive structures have been found in the ditches or associated berms in the area of Bella Vista (Prümers 2010).…”

“…However, no evidence of post holes or other kinds of defensive structures have been found in the ditches or associated berms in the area of Bella Vista (Prümers 2010). Other interpretations of ring ditches, which are not necessarily exclusive, are that they served ceremonial, ritual or monumental functions (Erickson 2010), delimited and marked the area of occupation (Saunaluoma 2010) and/or served as water reservoirs (Pärssinen et al 2003). According to Saunaluoma (2010), the earthworks in the Pando area are less complex and diverse than those found in the central LM and in the State of Acre.…”

Human Niche Construction and the Rural Environment

“…The view that the environment is external to human society, and acts as a more or less static set of factors that humans have to adapt to or overcome, was strongly criticized by Erickson (2006Erickson ( , 2010 in his studies of the Bolivian Amazon. Amazonian forests have previously been regarded as basically untouched and pristine in nature.…”

“…This domestication of the landscape was an intentional act (…)". Erickson (2006Erickson ( , 2010 thus described this process as a domestication of the landscape, referring to the similarities with the domestication of wild plants and animals. However, the concept of ' domesticated landscape' is only one of the many different terms that scholars in social history have used to describe how pre-industrial human societies have intentionally modified the environment in order to promote their resource base and living conditions (Smith, 2011).…”

Juntando Cacos: Uma Reflexão Sobre a Classificação Da Fase Koriabo No Amapá

“…Os interesses recentes em investigar os processos de mudança cultural que se desenvolveram na região Amazônica nos últimos milênios (por exemplo, Heckenberger & Neves 2009;Erickson 2010;e Schaan 2011), associado a preocupações com a relevância do conhecimento produzido para a própria região e seus moradores (Heckenberger & Neves 2009;Erickson 2004) aponta para a necessidade de prestarmos atenção nas nossas classificações no sentido de utilizá-las para estes fins. Qual o sentido em agrupar sob um mesmo rótulo contextos arqueológicos diferentes?…”