Climate variation and the rise and fall of an Andean civilization

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)



Description :
Paleolimnological and archaeological records that span 3500 years from Lake Titicaca and the surrounding Bolivian-Peruvian altiplano demonstrate that the emergence of agriculture (ca. 1500 B.C.) and the collapse of the Tiwanaku civilization (ca. A.D. 1100) coincided with periods of abrupt, profound climate change. The timing and magnitude of climate changes are inferred from stratigraphic evidence of lake-level variation recorded in 14C-dated lake-sediments cores. A prolonged drier period (ca. A.D. 1100-1400) caused declining agricultural production, field abandonment, and cultural collapse.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Quaternary research, issn : 0033-5894, 1997, vol. 47, n°. 2, p. 235-248, Collation : Illustration, Références bibliographiques : 57 ref.

Date :
1997

Editeur :
Pays édition : Etats-Unis, San Diego, CA, Elsevier