Soil and Humans Throughout the History

Abstract

This chapter presents briefly the history of soil management in Mexico from the point of view of a pedologist. The main three centers of agriculture in Mesoamerica were related to alluvial flood plains of the Gulf of Mexico, to the volcanic soils of Central Mexico, and to the Yucatan Peninsula. In many areas, terracing was a common practice—the terraces have been constructed for water capturing rather than for soil conservation. The most productive agricultural landscapes existed in the Valley of Mexico, on the banks of the lakes, where a system of artificial isles made of lacustrine mud provided high yield of crops. On the shallow soils of the Peninsula of Yucatan, the ancient Mayas managed to use small karst cavities in the limestone, where the fine earth accumulated. Although the system of land management in Mesoamerica was fragile and strongly affected by the climatic change, some of the techniques were effective, and more research and comprehension are needed to understand their value.