Rafael Suárez

RAFAEL SUAREZ, Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay, was awarded a grant in September 2023 to aid research on “Crop Platforms and Hydraulic Technology: The Landscape Domestication during the Late Holocene in Eastern Uruguay.” The project significantly expanded and advanced different unknown aspects of the prehistory of southeastern South America. We identified a complex of mound structures and irrigation channels that configures a complex anthropic landscape based on the planning and use of hydraulic technology to irrigate crop platforms made by prehistoric peoples during the last 2000 years. The archaeological excavations and laboratory analysis carried out allowed confirming from three lines of evidence that these mounds are crop platforms for Zea mays (corn): 1) The presence of two different phytolith morphotypes were identified: wavy-top rondel indicator of the presence of corn cobs and cross-shaped variant 1 which are indicative of the presence of maize husks; 2) In one of the cultivation platforms we identified five “offerings” consisting of an imprint covered with red ochre; 3) the presence of irrigation channels. In addition, we raised from 2 sets of 58 to 9 sets with 483 crop platforms (10.2 sq km of crop platforms), with this project. The importance of hydraulic engineering in prehistoric life extended beyond the Andes and the human groups of Uruguay were able to generate water management strategies that had not previously recognized in this region of the continent.