Human Impact and Adaptation in PERU

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Human Impact and Adaptation in PERU

• Ricardo Gonzalez

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Human Impact and Adaptation in PERU

• The Natural Setting Affecting Human Adaptation
• The First Peruvians (12,000 BP 4,500 BP)
• Human Adaptation through Pre-Contact Times (4,500
  BP to the Incas -1532 AD)
•  
• Spanish Conquest Colony (1532-1821)
• The Republic (1821 - Today)
•  
• Case Studies
• -Amazon Destruction
• -Lima
• Today and the Future

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PERU 0º - 18.5 º S 69 º - 83 º W
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The Natural Setting Affecting Human Adaptation

• Geology Plate tectonics (Andes, Peru-Chile
  Trench)
•  
• Climate A combination of latitude (Equator),
• Andes and coastal current
• Peruvian Current (Humboldt) and the Upwelling
  Effect
• El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and La Niña
• Ecological Regions Coast, Sierra Amazon  

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Geology Plate Tectonics (Andes, Peru-Chile
Trench)
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Geomorphology Plate tectonics (Andes, Peru-Chile
Trench)
The World 200 Million Years Ago (Pangea
Panthalassa)
Subduction of the Nazca Plate into the South
American Plate creating the Andes
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The Peru-Chile Trench
Deepest Point? 24,000 feet in Atacama, Chile
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Examples of Present Tectonic Activity
The Andes grow 1 every 2.5 years
Active Volcanism Sabancaya Volcano
Frequent devastating earthquakes
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Historical Geology
Coastal Cordillera (650 M.Y) Eastern
Cordillera (400 M.Y) Western Cordillera (65
M.Y) Central Cordillera (40 to 25
M.Y) Amazon Coastal Plains (1.65 M.Y
Present) Todays Growth? 1 2.5 years.
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Historical Geology (II)
Coastal Cordillera (650 M.Y) Eastern
Cordillera (400 M.Y) Western Cordillera (65
M.Y) Central Cordillera (40 to 25
M.Y) Amazon Coastal Plains (1.65 M.Y
Present) Todays Growth? 1 2.5 years.
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Peruvian Climate Tropical Subtropical
A combination of latitude (Equator), Andes and
coastal current
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Seasonality
Located in the Southern Hemisphere, Perus Summer
runs from December through March Winter from
June through September
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Climates of Peru
Coastal? Very Dry Temp. 12.5 º - 29 ºC Rain 0
100 mm Summer Dry Season (Dec.
Apr.) Winter Wet Season (Drizzles)
Andes? Variable Temp. -3 º - 21 ºC Rain 10
800 mm Summer Rainy Season (Nov. Apr.) Winter
Dry Season (Jun. Sept.)
Amazon? Variable Temp. 15 º - 41 ºC Rain 300
15000 mm Summer Rainy Season (Nov.
Apr.) Winter Dry Season (Jun. Sept.)
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Wind Patterns
Predominant easterly winds. Climate is heavily
influenced by the presence of a high (H) pressure
area at 30 ºS.
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The Peruvian Current
The Peruvian Current was formerly known as
Humboldt Current
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El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and La Niña
Normal Conditions/ La Niña
La Niña is characterized by colder conditions in
the region
El Niño Southern Oscillation
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Effects of El Niño
Normal Year? Cancas (North Coast) January 1991
Moderate El Niño? Cancas, January 1992
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Effects of El Niño Floods
Avalanche Flood in Cusco March 1998
Sechura Desert, March 1998
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Effects of El Niño Loss of Infrastructure
Pan American Highway El Niño 1997-98
Colan, North Coast El Niño 1997-98
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Ecological Regions Coast, Sierra Amazon
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Perus 8 Ecological Regions
Chala? 0 600 m Yunga? 600 2100 m Quechua?
2100- 3400 m Suni? 3400 4200 m Puna? 4200
5000 m Cordillera? 5000 6867
m Rupa-Rupa/Rainforest? 600 3200
m Omagua/Amazon Plain? 62 600 m
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Perus 8 Ecological Regions
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The Coast/Chala (0 600 m)
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Yunga (600 2100 m)
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Quechua (2100 3400 m)
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Suni (3400 4200 m)
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Puna (4200 5000 m)
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Cordillera (5000 6768 m)
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Rupa-Rupa (600 3200 m)
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Omagua -Amazon Plain (62 600 m)
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The First Peruvians

• a) Important Myths Legends
• b) Theories of Human Presence
• c) The First Peruvians
• d) The Pleistocene Overkill
• e) Primitive Habitat

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Myths/Legends of Human Occupation

• I. Inca Myths of Creation
• II. Coastal Myths (Naylamp
• Tacaynamo)
• III. The Voyage of Tupac Inca
• Yupanqui to Oceania.

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I. Inca Myth of Creation

• A couple, Manco Capac (1st Inca) Mama
• Ocllo, sent by their father, the Sun (Wiracocha),
  
• to teach the primitive people.
• They came out of the waters of
• Lake Titicaca to found the Inca
• empire based in Cusco.
• Manco Capac taught the men how
• to cultivate the land (potatoes
• corn), the art of war.
• Mama Ocllo showed the women
• to weave, the use of some plants for food
• medicinal purposes.

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II. Coastal Myths Naylamp Tacaynamo

• Two heroes from ancient times who came on rafts
  from the north.
• They brought new agricultural
• technologies large armies.
• They established a new order
• in the world (kingdoms of
• Moche -3 to 7C- Chimu 12 to 15C)

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III. The Voyage of Tupac Inca Yupanqui to Oceania

• A prince, son of Inca Pachacutec later to become
  Inca-,
• went on a trip to the West that lasted 2 years.
• When he came back he brought
• new plants, products some
• dark skin people from the East.
• It may proof that there was a long-
• distance connection with Oceania.

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Theories of Human Presence in America (C. 1970s)
Asian
Immigration
Melanesian/Pacific
Indigenous
Australian
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The First Peruvians

• Pacaicasa (22,000 BP)? Cave located in the
  South-Central Andes. No human remains (skeleton )
  found, only tools. Later found that radio-carbon
  date was mistaken.
• Paijan (11,200 BP)? Oldest Peruvian found at
  present. Located on an oasis of the north coast.
  Gatherer including sea products- hunter.
• Lauricocha (10,500 BP)?
• Oldest human remains found
• in the high Andes. Hunter
• gatherer.

Man of Paijan
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The Pleistocene Overkill
Pleistocene extinction reached South America
between 13,000 8,000 BP
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The Pleistocene Overkill
Model of Pattern of Colonization of America
(11,500 10,500 BP)
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The Pleistocene Overkill
80 of the South American Mega fauna extinct by
early hunters (47 of 59 species)
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Primitive Habitat
Hunting Scene at Toquepala Cave (8,000 BC)
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Human Adaptation After the Pleistocene Overkill

• After the overkill, the hunters gatherers
  shifted to less
• efficiently hunted animals more intensive use
  of plant foods.
• Hunted animals mainly camelids (llama, alpaca,
  guanaco) deer.
• Plants used as food (mainly tubers rhizomes)
  clothing
• (fibers).
• Foundation of the Andean
• agricultural pastoral
• system.
• Successful adaptation
• without destroying the natural
• world.

Guitarrero Cave (9,430 BP)
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Human Adaptation After the Pleistocene Overkill
Spearheads from Guitarrero (9,430 BP)
Wild camelids (llamas alpacas) grazing in the
high Andes (4,000 m.)
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Hunters Weaponry
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Human Adaptation in the Coastal Area After the
Pleistocene Overkill

• Importance of the ocean resources for the
• subsistence of large populations.
• Moseleys theory (1975)? Andean
• culture developed prospered in its
• origins thanks to the extraordinary
• richness of ocean resources not due to
• agriculture.
• Gatherers hunters/fishermen started
• subsisting on mollusks, algae, fishing
• from shore in coastal lagoons.
• Agriculture was developed 5,000 years
• after arrival to the coast (approx. 5,000 BP)

Otumas scallop banks (4,000 BP)
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Human Adaptation in the Coastal Area After the
Pleistocene Overkill
Early fishhooks made of bones
Remains of a coastal hut
Tools found in the hut
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Coastal Adaptation in Early Times
Canastones, a site of early occupation in the
central Peruvian coast. The area thrives with
coastal resources scallops, mussels, fish, sea
lions.
Sea lions was easy prey and a favorite food for
coastal people
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Human Adaptation through Pre-Contact Times
a) Gathering Hunting? Forests Lomas
wildlife. b) Fishing? Coastal, Ocean
Lagoons/Wetlands. c) Agriculture? Major land
transformation coastal oasis, Andean
terracing (andenes) lagoon agriculture.
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Chronology of Pre-Contact Peru

• Pikimichay Cave (17,650 BP)
• Pre-Ceramic (until 1,800 BC)
• Horizon Empires
• -Chavin (900 - 200 BC)
• -Wari (800 1,100 AD)
• -Inca (1,400 1532 AD)
• Intermediate Regional Kingdoms
• -Paracas (200 BC 200 AD)
• -Moche (100 650 AD)
• -Nasca (100 650 AD)
• -Tiahuanaco (600 1,000 AD)
• -Chimu (1,000 1,400 AD)

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The Inca Empire 1532
Conquests of the last Incas
The Inca Road System
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Caral (5,000 BP) The First City of the New World?
Constructing cities on non-agricultural lands is
one of the most important characteristics of
Pre-Contact America
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Growth of Administrative Hierarchies
Moche (100 650 AD) base representing the world
the underworld
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a) Gathering Hunting? Forests Lomas Wildlife.

• In the periphery of the valleys there were
  extensive forests with important hunting
  resources.
• These areas were maintained maybe excluded for
  royal hunts.
• Extensive fauna deer, bear, American lion,
  turkey, dove, lizards, etc.
• Wood was used for construction cooking but at
  low rates.
• Algarrobo (kiawe) seeds used to feed domestic
  animals for human food medicinal purposes.

Moche deer hunting
Lizard a food delicacy- eating kiawe seeds
Chaku gathering of vicunas for trimming
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b) Fishing? Coastal, Ocean Lagoons/Wetlands.

• Seafood was gathered only from the near coast in
  early times.
• At the beginning use of hooks only (mussel,
  cactus spine, bones) later use of cotton to make
  fishing nets (1,000 BC).
• Development of fishing vessels allowed fishermen
  to go beyond the near coast even long distance
  travel.

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b) Fishing? Coastal, Ocean Lagoons/Wetlands.

• Hunting in near islands for sea birds sea
  lions to collect
• guano (bird dropping -fertilizer).

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b) Fishing? Coastal, Ocean Lagoons/Wetlands
Use of coastal lagoons wetlands to raise
mullets cultivate Totora (Scirpus sp.) reed for
boat building.
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Chancay 1,300 AD
Caral 2002 AD
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c) Agriculture Mayor Land Transformation in
Pre-Contact Times
The Hummingbird figure (180 ft long) was drew
among many others- by the Nascas (100 650
AD) to predict the agricultural seasons.
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Coastal Agriculture I
The earliest agriculture was developed next to
the river deltas on the coastal plains, were
water was abundant easily accessible.
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Coastal Agriculture II
In areas with shallow underground water, holes
were excavated to clear the sand from the
surface reach more fertile land.
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Coastal Agriculture III
In coastal areas were moisture concentrated
during the winter (Lomas), temporal agriculture
in terraces was established.
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Andean Agriculture I
Terraces constructed in irregular terrain for
better control of soil erosion.
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Terraces in the Colca Valley Peruvian Southern
Andes.
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Inca stone terraces at Macchu Picchu. They were
being used when it was discovered in the 1910s
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Andean Agriculture II Raised Fields
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Andean Agriculture II Raised Fields
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Raised Fields
Raised fields during the Dry Season in Puno
Experimental Raised Field at Lakaya (1988)
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Moray An Inca Agricultural Experimental Station
Moray, 300 ft deep and at 3,800 m, was used to
adapt food crops to different altitudes.
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Andean Ranching
Camelids (llamas alpacas) ranching continues to
be a vary important activity. Their
environmental impact is very small.