skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Geologic Water Storage in Pre-Columbian Peru

Abstract

Agriculture in the arid and semi-arid regions that comprise much of present-day Peru, Bolivia, and Northern Chile is heavily dependent on irrigation; however, obtaining a dependable water supply in these areas is often difficult. The precolumbian peoples of Andean South America adapted to this situation by devising many strategies for transporting, storing, and retrieving water to insure consistent supply. I propose that the ''elaborated springs'' found at several Inka sites near Cuzco, Peru, are the visible expression of a simple and effective system of groundwater control and storage. I call this system ''geologic water storage'' because the water is stored in the pore spaces of sands, soils, and other near-surface geologic materials. I present two examples of sites in the Cuzco area that use this technology (Tambomachay and Tipon) and discuss the potential for identification of similar systems developed by other ancient Latin American cultures.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Director, Office of Energy Research
OSTI Identifier:
899544
Report Number(s):
LBNL-40581
TRN: US200708%%322
DOE Contract Number:  
DE-AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Latin American Antiquity
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 14; Journal Issue: 2; Related Information: Journal Publication Date: June 2003
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AGRICULTURE; AVAILABILITY; IRRIGATION; SOILS; STORAGE; WATER; WATER SUPPLY

Citation Formats

Fairley, Jr, Jerry P. Geologic Water Storage in Pre-Columbian Peru. United States: N. p., 1997. Web.
Fairley, Jr, Jerry P. Geologic Water Storage in Pre-Columbian Peru. United States.
Fairley, Jr, Jerry P. 1997. "Geologic Water Storage in Pre-Columbian Peru". United States.
@article{osti_899544,
title = {Geologic Water Storage in Pre-Columbian Peru},
author = {Fairley, Jr, Jerry P},
abstractNote = {Agriculture in the arid and semi-arid regions that comprise much of present-day Peru, Bolivia, and Northern Chile is heavily dependent on irrigation; however, obtaining a dependable water supply in these areas is often difficult. The precolumbian peoples of Andean South America adapted to this situation by devising many strategies for transporting, storing, and retrieving water to insure consistent supply. I propose that the ''elaborated springs'' found at several Inka sites near Cuzco, Peru, are the visible expression of a simple and effective system of groundwater control and storage. I call this system ''geologic water storage'' because the water is stored in the pore spaces of sands, soils, and other near-surface geologic materials. I present two examples of sites in the Cuzco area that use this technology (Tambomachay and Tipon) and discuss the potential for identification of similar systems developed by other ancient Latin American cultures.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/899544}, journal = {Latin American Antiquity},
number = 2,
volume = 14,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jul 14 00:00:00 EDT 1997},
month = {Mon Jul 14 00:00:00 EDT 1997}
}