Editorial: New theoretical and methodological approaches to land use dynamics in the Andes during the Late Holocene

This Research Topic originates from a workshop held at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Jena, Germany, in 2022, where participants examined new methodological and theoretical approaches to land use dynamics in the Southern Andes over the past three millennia. The discussions emphasized the significance of these practices for understanding the historical, political, economic, and social processes that have shaped the region, as well as the need to address them through interdisciplinary analytical perspectives. Within this framework, diverse practices related to the management of plants, soils, water, and animals were analyzed in detail, with particular attention to their spatial expressions within agricultural and pastoral systems. Building on these shared concerns, this Research Topic expands the workshop's original scope by bringing together 12 contributions that address these issues from complementary perspectives. While some of these articles were first presented during the workshop, others were later submitted by scholars engaging with the thematic and conceptual framework proposed by the editors.

Recurrent themes

Given their significance to Andean lifeways, agricultural and herding practices are the focus of most articles in this compilation. Special attention is given to agricultural architectural features (e.g., terracing), water management and hydraulic systems, cultivar choice, fertilization, fallowing and crop rotation practices, and their implications for spatial organization in the works of Franco Salvi et al., Gastaldi et al., Mader et al., and Wande et al.. Meanwhile, Killian Galván et al. focus on animal management strategies, i.e., llama herding, and its potential links to cultivation practices. Moreover, López Mendoza et al. discuss camelid management in relation to its implications for both intraregional and interregional mobility.

Another major thematic area developed in this volume is the combined use of multiple analytical techniques and interdisciplinary approaches. The diverse and innovative analytical strategies applied to the study of land use dynamics include remote sensing and computational spatial studies (e.g., LiDAR and GIS), stable isotope analysis, osteometry, and the examination of plant microfossils. In this sense, some of the included articles provide a rich methodological toolkit that integrates archaeological understanding with geological, chemical, botanical, zoological, and digital approaches to study land use phenomena otherwise impossible to assess in environments such as the Bolivian llanos, as illustrated by the work of Jaimes Betancourt et al.. These studies also expose how colonially-envisaged boundaries (i.e., Andean highlands vs. lowlands) can obscure fluid pre-Hispanic interactions.

The most significant contribution, however, lies in the research questions posed and the new theoretical approaches proposed, as occurs in Taddei Salinas's piece. These approaches challenge classical models and traditional perspectives in understanding the lifeways of local populations during the Late Holocene. Moreover, several studies in this volume highlight the importance of co-producing knowledge with local and Indigenous communities. Concepts such as agrarian landscapes, peasant labor, and household production are mobilized to confront rigid models largely grounded in adaptationist and ecologically deterministic approaches. The importance of labor capacities in shaping and transforming landscapes is widely recognized across regions—including the Atacama Desert, the Puna Highlands, the Mesothermal Valleys of Northwestern Argentina, and the Eastern Lowlands—as shown in this collection.

The local scale thus emerges as a key dimension here. Although some land use technologies are shared across regions, their use, management, and specific characteristics are often locally specific. Some articles, therefore, highlight the importance of self-sustaining household units and the value of local lifeways in each context. The significance of local and historical processes is emphasized throughout the Research Topic in contrast to perspectives primarily based on a unified macroregional framework, as shown by Moreno et al.. At the same time, most of the pieces published here focus on areas traditionally perceived as “peripheral” to major population centers; here, in turn, these are studied in depth and presented as permanently inhabited and transformed spaces shaped by centuries of human agency.

Looking toward the future of land use research

The articles in this Research Topic outline some key elements for a future research agenda. A crucial point is the exploration of how these insights into the past can influence the present and the future of local populations. Different ways of inhabiting landscapes, alternative production strategies, and the recognition of diverse ontologies represent both disciplinary challenges and social commitments. These approaches help articulate informed positions and provide scientific data relevant to local conflicts, including land and water rights, mining disputes, and deforestation. Within this framework, collaboration with local communities, the incorporation of integrative and interdisciplinary analytical perspectives, and critical reflection on hegemonic models can contribute to conflict resolution. We consider this a two-way street, in which the past and the present dialogue, as our interpretations of prehistoric practices often build upon present inspiration. This does not imply a uniformitarian view of the phenomena under study but rather a recognition of continuities between past and present practices and ways of living, as discussed by Samec et al. regarding camelid herding mobility patterns in the Andean Highlands.

Finally, the articles in this volume highlight the rupture represented by the Spanish conquest for the way of life of the local inhabitants of the Andes at different scales. Several articles in this special issue address this historical process, including the papers by Retamero and Quesada and by Vaquer et al.. It is often recognized that some of its effects remain incompletely understood, particularly social disintegration and its legacies in the present. Interdisciplinary research integrating ethnographic, ethnohistorical, archaeological, and environmental historical data can provide crucial insights in this regard. Moving forward, applying consistent methodologies across pre-colonial and colonial periods enables exploration of the ramifications of land use practices for societies and environments across space and time, as well as their influence into the 21st century.

This volume represents an important contribution to Andean research by reviewing numerous studies from diverse theoretical and methodological paradigms, employing innovative methods and techniques, and providing data and interpretations that advance our understanding of the processes of formation, reproduction, and transformation of land use practices. Together, this Research Topic highlights the importance of developing interdisciplinary, multiscaled, and community-engaged approaches within our discipline.

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Footnotes

Edited and reviewed by: Francesco Berna, Simon Fraser University, Canada