Just when you think you have seen everything there is to be seen
in the way of ancient agricultural formations on the Altiplano, from the famous "sukka kollus"
to linked artificial ponds and "geoglyph" - like mountainsides, Google Earth continues to show unexpected
and unknown formations of equally unknown age and purpose - in this case contour shaped formations which
appear to have been cut into ancient hillsides - in some parts apparantly wiped clean by earthquakes and
in others so well defined as to make one wonder whether they exist in reality on the ground
or are left over ghost images from some computerised cartographic project.
Yet instead of connecting lines of
equal altitude in the way that true contour lines do, these lines when measured by Google Earth appear
to ascend or descend in altitude along their length - suggesting maybe another form of gravity
fed canal based irrigation culture and masterpiece of engineering.
Once again, site inspection is the answer and invites future investigators
to locate them on the ground and give them an age and purpose - the cultivations themselves may have long
disappeared but these contour-like patterns illustrate once again how these parts of the Andes in ancient times
supported a huge population through agriculture - and the ingenuity of the ancient peoples in adapting
the resources to the various types of terrain, crafting these water channels to disperse streams from
the mountains laterally along the hillsides..
Cusco area
J.M.Allen 22 Nov 2009
Above, contour forms/ancient irrigation patterns seen on Google Earth in the Peru side of the Altiplano..
Above, contour forms/ancient irrigation patterns seen on Google Earth in the Peru side of the Altiplano..
Above, contour forms/ancient irrigation patterns seen on Google Earth in the Peru side of the Altiplano..
Above, contour forms/ancient irrigation patterns seen on Google Earth in the Peru side of the Altiplano..
Above, contour forms/ancient irrigation patterns seen on Google Earth in the Peru side of the Altiplano..
Above, contour forms/ancient irrigation patterns seen on Google Earth in the Peru side of the Altiplano..
Above, contour forms/ancient irrigation patterns seen on Google Earth in the Peru side of the Altiplano..
Above, contour forms/ancient irrigation patterns seen on Google Earth in the Peru side of the Altiplano..
Above, contour forms/ancient irrigation patterns seen on Google Earth in the Peru side of the Altiplano..
Above, contour forms/ancient irrigation patterns seen on Google Earth in the Peru side of the Altiplano..
Above, contour forms/ancient irrigation patterns seen on Google Earth in the Peru side of the Altiplano..
Above, oblique view of contour forms/irrigation channels seen on Google Earth in the Peru side of the Altiplano..
Above, contour forms/ancient irrigation patterns seen on Google Earth in the Peru side of the Altiplano..
Above, contour forms/ancient irrigation patterns seen on Google Earth in the Peru side of the Altiplano..
Above, oblique view of circular contour forms/irrigation channels seen on Google Earth in the Peru side of the Altiplano..
Above, these contour forms/irrigation channels have almost disappeared from view.
Above, these contour forms/irrigation channels (arrowed) have almost disappeared from view.
Above, agricultural terraces in the Cusco area.
Above, oblique view of agricultural terraces in the Cusco area.
Above, oblique view of agricultural terraces with gravity fed irrigations canals in the Cusco area.
Above, contour forms/irrigation channels in the Cusco area.
Above, contour forms/irrigation channels in the Cusco area.
Above, contour forms/irrigation channels in the Cusco area.
Above, close-up oblique view of contour forms/irrigation channels in the Cusco area.
See also contours forms/irrigation channels on Bolivian side of Altiplano
See also "geoglyph" and other agricultural formations
in the
Oruro and Tiwanaku/La Paz regions
See also ringed hills page for views of ringed hilltops
Oruro and Tiwanaku/La Paz regions
See also earthquakes page for Oruro and Tiwanaku/La Paz regions
See also
canals gallery for views of canals in the Oruro region
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