Atlantis Online
March 28, 2024, 04:30:33 am
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: Ice Age blast 'ravaged America'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6676461.stm
 
  Home Help Arcade Gallery Links Staff List Calendar Login Register  

Geoforms - agricultural formations on the Bolivian Altiplano

Pages: [1] 2   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: Geoforms - agricultural formations on the Bolivian Altiplano  (Read 282 times)
0 Members and 7 Guests are viewing this topic.
Morrison
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 3915



« on: December 03, 2009, 12:17:48 am »

More from Jim Allen's website:

Geoforms - agricultural formations on the Bolivian Altiplano

Contrary to the opinions of some modern scientists that the Altiplano was a place unsuitable for agriculture, satellite imagery shows that practically every square foot of earth, whether on level ground or steep mountainside, has been cultivated at some time in the past. Although the impression on the ground may be of an abandoned empty desert at times, the satellite imagery shows there must have been an occupation in the millions of people - who developed many diverse forms of agriculture varying from the mountain terraces for which the Andes are famous, maze-like parcels of raised land surrounded by irregular water channels called "suka kollus", regular plots of land bounded by parallel straight canals, modified mountains with artificial radiating walls, irregular stone walled enclosures, irregular irrigated mountainside plots, artificial fish ponds with interconnecting channels, semi-aquatic cultures living on artificial islands, regular and irregular modern field patches.
Some of the old patterns have been eliminated by later cultivations but many can be still detected on the satellite imagery, which also shows up extensive earthquake damage in places where old terraces have been virtually demolished and in others where ancient iregular walled fields have been buried beneath extensive sand dunes.
Report Spam   Logged

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Morrison
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 3915



« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2009, 12:18:35 am »

Some views from Google Earth



Above, geoglyphs or land forms north of Tiwanaku first brought to the public attention by David Flynn.
Report Spam   Logged
Morrison
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 3915



« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2009, 12:19:09 am »



Above, oblique view shows the geoglyphs to be artificial land formations used for agricultural purposes.
Report Spam   Logged
Morrison
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 3915



« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2009, 12:19:47 am »



Above, close-up oblique view.
Report Spam   Logged
Morrison
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 3915



« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2009, 12:20:17 am »



Above, high resolution close-up oblique view.
Report Spam   Logged
Morrison
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 3915



« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2009, 12:21:37 am »



Above, close-up oblique view.
Report Spam   Logged
Morrison
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 3915



« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2009, 12:30:41 am »



Above, close-up oblique view shows stream feeding irrigation channels.
Report Spam   Logged
Morrison
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 3915



« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2009, 12:31:09 am »



Above, close-up oblique view shows stream feeding irrigation channels.
Report Spam   Logged
Morrison
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 3915



« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2009, 12:31:43 am »



Above, an irrigation canal winds its way along the contours.
Report Spam   Logged
Morrison
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 3915



« Reply #9 on: December 03, 2009, 01:09:27 am »



Above, close-up of the canal winding its way through the "geoglyphs".

http://www.atlantisbolivia.org/geoforms.htm
Report Spam   Logged
Morrison
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 3915



« Reply #10 on: December 03, 2009, 01:58:05 am »



Above, double section of canal amongst the "geoglyphs".
Report Spam   Logged
Morrison
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 3915



« Reply #11 on: December 03, 2009, 01:58:48 am »



Above, the "geoglyphs" appear ancient and eroded here in this oblique view
Report Spam   Logged
Morrison
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 3915



« Reply #12 on: December 03, 2009, 01:59:18 am »



Above, this close-up shows damage and erosion after earthquakes in this oblique view.
Report Spam   Logged
Morrison
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 3915



« Reply #13 on: December 03, 2009, 01:59:55 am »



Above, close-up oblique view showing remains of ancient terraces with probable earthquake damage.
Report Spam   Logged
Morrison
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 3915



« Reply #14 on: December 03, 2009, 02:00:26 am »



Above, in the same zone south-east of Lake Titicaca, some parallel canals for agriculture, now disused.
Report Spam   Logged
Pages: [1] 2   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by EzPortal
Bookmark this site! | Upgrade This Forum
SMF For Free - Create your own Forum
Powered by SMF | SMF © 2016, Simple Machines
Privacy Policy