ABSTRACT
This chapter takes an historical-ecological approach to evaluate the complex processes surrounding the creation and devaluation of landesque capital along the Peruvian south coast. In most locations, terrace fill is generally darker than apparently uncultivated lands, and moderate amounts of carbon, marine shell, and other cultural refuse were also commonly observed. Irrigation complexes along the intervalley coast are much smaller and more localized than those of principal river valleys of coastal Peru. Terrace and canal construction served to physically transform desert regions into agricultural farmland. In the context of non-equilibrium dynamics, change is historically contingent and therefore demands that landscapes be studied on local and regional scales, in multiple cultural and environmental settings. Archaeology can provide a unique perspective on this process indeed, the physical nature of landesque capital generally leaves physical markers. In many cases, however, portions of prehispanic agricultural fields were utilized for farming, but apparently without any investment in terrace maintenance.
