Find in Library

Specialized prehispanic agricultural systems have been found in a swampy region, known as Laguna de la Ciudad in the northern coast of Esmeraldas, Ecuador. This study focuses on the evolution of agricultural techniques and settlement patterns throughout the pre-Columbian occupation of this area (some 3000 years). Emphasis is placed on the links between the development of the specialized farming techniques and the La Tolita-Tumaco culture (1000 BC / 800 A.D.). The results show that the area began to be drained shortly after the first settlers occupied the region, but the raised field methods were widely in use after the decline of the regional chiefdoms.