Vertical archipelago

The vertical archipelago is a special way of farming and sharing resources that was used by people living in the Andes mountains. This idea was first described by a sociologist named John Victor Murra, who was inspired by an economist named Karl Polanyi. Instead of relying on buying and selling like many other places, these communities traded goods and worked together, especially during the time of the Inca Empire.

This system was very clever because it used the different climates found at various heights up the mountains. Each level had its own kinds of plants and animals, so people could grow a wide variety of food and gather many useful resources. There were four main areas or ecozones, each at a different elevation, which helped make sure everyone had what they needed throughout the year. This way of life shows how resourceful and connected the Andean people were in taking care of their environment and each other.

Overview

Most highland Andean societies, like the Quechua and Aymara, did not rely on markets for trade. Instead, they worked together through a system called mink'a, where everyone helped with community projects like building or farming. This system was based on ayni, meaning reciprocity, and did not use money.

Because the Andes mountains have very different areas with different weather and resources, these communities had to travel to different places to grow various crops or raise animals. They formed small groups or moved seasonally to find the right conditions for their needs. This way, they could get everything they required without depending on trade with others.

Ecozones

The Andean region has four main ecozones, each with its own types of plants and animals. The quechua zone, which is warm and low, is great for growing maize. The suni zone, a bit higher, is where people grow quinoa, kaniwa, kiwicha, and many kinds of potatoes. The puna zone is cold and grassy, perfect for raising llama and alpaca herds. The montaña zone is wet and forested, where plants like tobacco and coca grow, and colorful feathers from birds like macaws are collected.

Under the Inca

See also: Mit'a

The Inca state collected taxes in the form of goods and required people to work for the community. This community work, called corvée labor, helped build important things like roads, aqueducts, and storage buildings known as tampu and qollqa. The Incas also had special groups of people, called mitmaqkuna, who lived in different areas and provided goods and security for the state. Lands owned by the ruler, the Sapa Inca, the state church, and certain families were arranged in a way that allowed the Incas to access many different resources from various climates and conditions. The terraces at Moray were likely used to test which crops could grow best in different environments, helping the Incas make the most of their land. These terraces created different temperatures and humidities, known as microclimates, to grow a variety of crops.