Water management in the lower Miriguaca Basin (Antofagasta de la Sierra): network design and Pre-Hispanic hydraulic technologies

Abstract

In this article, we present new evidence focussing on the palaeo-hydraulic technologies from the Miriguaca 1 (MS1) irrigation network, located in Antofagasta de la Sierra (Catamarca). These new data contribute to the current interpretations on the functioning and hydraulic design of these networks in the southern Argentine Puna. An analysis of satellite imagery coupled with field-testing, allowed us to recognize a large number of crop fields and channels, including their later modifications. We also describe a water dam used for irrigation, the first one for the southern Puna. This hydraulic structure would have allowed water storage, thereby enabling the development of a more extensive irrigation network, as well as better control for the use of water over time. Finally, we used the archaeological material remains recovered in association with the irrigation network, and its design, to propose a chronology of its construction and use.