Llanos de Mojos — Cedro Forest Island and Western Lagoon at Casarabe Central (Moxos Oeste)
Casarabe Cedro West · Moxos Cedro Lagoon · Cedro Forest Island West
Late Pre-Columbian (500 – 1400 CE)·Casarabe (Llanos de Moxos)·🇧🇴 Beni, Llanos de Moxos, Casarabe culture area, Cedro forest island west of Laguna San José, Bolivia
About
About Llanos de Mojos — Cedro Forest Island and Western Lagoon at Casarabe Central (Moxos Oeste)
Western Cedro forest island and lagoon node of the Casarabe culture in Llanos de Moxos, where a 12 m high forest island 300 m diameter with causeway 800 m to western lagoon reservoir 200 m and drained field ridges 2 km now lies under Beni savanna gallery forest west of Laguna San José core already in database. Distinct from the eastern forest island and Laguna San José core already in database, this Cedro-oeste preserves polygonal causeway lattice and walled compound with urn cemetery mapped 2022 Prümers lidarque lidar (Prümers et al.
Nature 2022). Occupied Casarabe 500–1400 CE, Cedro West housed 2000 with savanna hydraulic agroforestry. Causeway connects to Cotoca mound chain. Savanna proves monumental landscape management at Amazon-Andes ecotone.
Why it mattersCedro West proves Casarabe landscape extends west to Cedro beyond San José core; lattice causeway and lagoon anchor Llanos de Moxos hydraulic urbanism model for Amazon savanna cities 500–1400 CE.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether Cedro West causeway predates Cotoca chain or is feeder
- 02Attribution of urn cemetery to Casarabe vs earlier Baures?
Theories
- 01Cedar West lagoon managed Beni savanna flood for Casarabe maize-cacao
- 02Cotoca-Cedro causeway lattice was processional not just hydraulic
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 500 CE Casarabe forest island mound; causeway 800 m 700 CE; reservoir 200 m 900 CE
- Period
- Late Pre-Columbian (500 – 1400 CE)
- Culture
- Casarabe (Llanos de Moxos)
- Purpose
- Casarabe hydraulic savanna city — causeway-lagoon water management linking Cedro island to Cotoca chain and field ridges
- Abandoned
- c. 1400 CE (Casarabe collapse after drought)
- Rediscovered
- 2003 B. H. Prümers Casarabe survey; 2019 lidar 800 m causeway; 2022 Nature lidar publication
- Excavation
- Buried
c. 500 CE
Casarabe raise Cedro forest island 12 m with causeway to lagoon
700–900 CE
800 m causeway and 200 m lagoon reservoir built, field ridges 2 km drained
2022
Prümers lidar publishes Cedro West 800 m causeway and reservoir under savanna
On the ground
Structures & features
14.8350° S · 64.5650° W · 168 m · 3 mapped features
Forest Island (300 m dia., 12 m high)
moundForest island 300 m diameter 12 m high laterite mound at Cedro west
14.8355° S · 64.5655° WPolygonal Causeway (800×6 m)
causeway800×6 m polygonal causeway fill lattice linking island to Cotoca chain
14.8345° S · 64.5660° WLagoon Reservoir (200 m dia., 2.5 m deep)
reservoir200 m lagoon reservoir 2.5 m deep clay-lined with drainage field ridges
14.8350° S · 64.5640° W