Andean Terrace Agriculture System

Timeline

1. c. 500–1000Lake Titicaca and the Wari Empire core region · PunoTiwanaku and the Wari Empire built stone terraces and raised fields on a large scale in the Andean highlands, combining canal irrigation to support megacity populations and interregional food supply networks.
2. 1161–1170Southern Peruvian and Bolivian highlands · CuscoAfter the collapse of the Wari Empire, the Chimú Kingdom (north coast) and early Inca communities of the Cusco Valley (south) both continued terrace agriculture; the Chimú Moche Valley and hillsides around Cusco were covered with stone terraces, supporting the food base for each polity's urban and military expansion.
3. c. 1200–1532Territory of the Inca Empire · PeruThe Inca Empire expanded the terrace system across a vast area from Ecuador to northern Chile; sites such as Machu Picchu display precise stone terraces and vertical ecological zone management, becoming core infrastructure for imperial food security and labor allocation.