[Terrapreta] Reconstuction of terra preta culture

[Robert Klein]

Hi all

It is certainly nice to see the burgeoning traffic in the group since June when i first joined, although I must say it has been impossible to actually keep up with the traffic load.  Hopefully that means that broader public attention is also developing.  It is an education process.

As a few may recall, I posted a reconstruction of the making of terra preta using the tool kit available to the Amazonian Indian.  This reconstruction conformed to the Archaeological evidence in place including the use of field pottery.  It predicted the use of corn culture.  This was confirmed by a review of the Archeological literature on the pollen content.  The two principal crops were corn and cassava.

I have seen no practical alternative reconstruction.

Comments have been made regarding the production of rotted plant material as a possible source.  It is not because it is not in the form of elemental carbon.  In fact the conversion of black marsh soils to agriculture usually results in the collapse of these very rich soils.  At least that is my impression from my own observations.  The real innovation of the Bolivian Indians and others throughout the Americas was the invention of ditch and bank culture which saw ditch bottom plant material thrown on the bank field as fertilizer.  This put leached nutrients back on the seed bed.  And since they used seed hills, they likely drained and dried the ditches and then used baskets to move the fertilizing mud.

Terra preta is a completely different culture.

Those interested in my reconstruction may read about it in my Blog.  The key postings were made in June and July and are worth reading through to see how the  ideas evolved.

http://globalwarming-arclein.blogspot.com

regards

Arclein




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