ABSTRACT The pre-Columbian Andes are renowned for agricultural terrace systems in areas of steep terrain. Most studies have concentrated on regions characterized by seasonally-variable limited precipitation, yet research in high-precipitation and cloud-forest regions of the North and Eastern Andes demonstrates the diversity of terrace technologies adapted to different landscapes. This paper presents research from survey, excavation, and digital modeling of three types of well-preserved agricultural terraces found in a 50 km2 area in central Chachapoyas, northeastern Peru. These terrace types—which we refer to as linear segmented, contour, and sinkhole—were all comprised entirely of earth, not stone. Results from digital modeling using ArcGIS hydrology tools indicate different manners through which each terrace type structured the movement of water over the ground surface, supporting previous arguments that similar earthen terrace infrastructure in Colombia, Ecuador, and eastern Peru were likewise designed to manage runoff drainage rather than support irrigation.

中文翻译：

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秘鲁东北哥伦布时期前山地森林的土阶技术与环境适应

摘要前哥伦布时期的安第斯山脉以陡峭地区的农业梯田系统而闻名。大多数研究集中在季节性降水有限的地区，但是在安第斯山脉北部和东部的高降水和云林地区的研究表明，梯田技术适用于不同的景观。本文介绍了在秘鲁东北部Chachapoyas中部50 km2地区发现的三种保存完好的农业梯田的调查，开挖和数字化建模研究。这些平台类型（我们称为线性分段，等高线和下沉孔）全部完全由泥土而非石头组成。