Ancient Amazonian Waterworks Enabled Year-Round Maize Farming

Archaeologists have discovered that the ancient Casarabe people of South America transformed seasonally flooded Amazonian savannas into year-round maize farming hotspots by building an innovative network of drainage canals and water-storing ponds. This allowed for two maize harvests annually, fueling the growth of the Casarabe civilization across 4,500 square kilometers from 500 to 1400 CE. The findings challenge previous understandings of Amazonian agriculture and highlight the sophisticated water management techniques of these ancient people.