Irrigation and Society in the Peruvian Desert: The Puquios of Nasca [Hardcover]

Katharina Schreiber (Author), Josué Lancho Rojas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 14, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0739106414 | ISBN-13: 978-0739106419

Nasca, once home to a sophisticated ancient culture, is an improbable paradise: a verdant landscape in the middle of the Peruvian coastal desert, one of the driest places on the face of the Earth. Irrigation and Society: The Puquios of Nasca looks at the legendary puquios of Nasca, the underground aqueduct system built by Incans which is arguably responsible for this strange abundance of water. Authors Katharina Schreiber and Josue Rojas explore the puqios, their probable means of construction, their function in ancient society and how they are used today. Few ancient cultures were as knowledgeable about water or as technologically adept at accessing it, and Schreiber and Rojas provide a fascinating glimpse of an ancient society through the seemingly mundane act of transporting water. Irrigation and Society is much more than a simple treatise on water distribution: it is a detailed examination of the role of large scale irrigation in the emergence of soci-political complexity.

Editorial Reviews

Review

. . . it puts the subsistence economy firmly back into the archaeology of ancient complex societies and it revives general debates about the relationship between control of water and development of social inequality and political power. . . . This volume is specifically written for the specialist in south coast archaeology and it amply fulfills this goal. Moreover, the style of writing is so engaging that others may find this topic intriguing. Lexington [Books] and the authors are to be thanked for making available these fascinating data. (Journal Of Latin American Anthropology )

This worthy and meticulous study of a precolumbian irrigation system on the desert south coast of Peru is most especially notable for two reasons that transcend its particular geo-cultural focus. First, the book should receive widespread praise for its focus on "irrigation and society." It is healthy for the profession to be reminded of the fundamental fact that 'human populations require food' and that 'agriculture requires a detailed knowledge of the natural environment.' Second, the equitable collaboration of a U.S. academic archaeologist with a local intellectual sets a high ethical standard for the conduct of research and career management that should be emulated. (Helaine Silverman )

About the Author

Katharina Schreiber is a Professor of Archeology at the University of California Santa Barbara, and a world-renowned expert on ancient Peru.Josué Lancho is the former Nasca Provincial Director of the Peruvian National Institute of Culture and the author of numerous works on Nasca. He has also served as coordinator or advisor for some 16 documentary films on the geoglyphs of Nasca.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Lexington Books (July 14, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0739106414
• ISBN-13: 978-0739106419
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,585,071 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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