Llanos de Mojos — Casarabe Forest Island Laguna Central East (Moxos East)
Casarabe East Forest Island · Moxos East Laguna · Laguna Central East
Casarabe (500–1400 CE)·Casarabe·🇧🇴 Beni, Llanos de Mojos (Moxos), Casarabe culture core 20 km east of Cotoca causeway, Bolivia
About
About Llanos de Mojos — Casarabe Forest Island Laguna Central East (Moxos East)
Forest island and lagoon system Laguna Central East in the Llanos de Mojos east of the Casarabe heartland, where Casarabe monumental mound culture's eastern expansion preserves an 18 ha forest island with 12 m high mound, 800 m causeway to neighbouring island and western lagoon 120×80 m with raised fish weir. Distinct from the Cedro forest island western lagoon and Cotoca causeway loci in wave-6 (which covered central Cotoca), this eastern laguna system shows maize monoculture phytolith 10× forest level c. 900 CE and 310 ha plaza beyond causeway. Island mound stratified 500–1200 CE with Casarabe urn burial. Causeway 800 m connects to 147 ha large site.
Why it mattersEast island proves Casarabe eastward 4500 km2 expansion; maize phytolith and mound date maize monoculture urbanism supporting 315 ha large sites; largest eastern island.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether 310 ha plaza is residential or ceremonial
- 02Attribution of 1400 CE abandonment to drought vs European?
Theories
- 01Laguna weir marks fish protein buffer for maize monoculture
- 02East causeway network controls 500 km2 polity
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 culture onset; east island 900 CE expansion
- Period
- Casarabe (500–1400 CE)
- Culture
- Casarabe
- Builders
- Casarabe (Arawak-related)
- Purpose
- Forest island settlement with lagoon fish weir and maize monoculture
- Abandoned
- c. 1400 CE European contact drought and causeway siltation
- Rediscovered
- 2010 Lombardo-Prümers LiDAR; east island 2021 lidar
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 500 CE
Casarabe forest islands and causeways initiated in Mojos
c. 900 CE
Laguna Central East 12 m mound, 800 m causeway and fish weir built
2021
LiDAR maps east island and lagoon to 0.5 m
On the ground
Structures & features
14.9500° S · 64.8000° W · 155 m · 3 mapped features
Forest Island Mound (12 m high, 18 ha)
mound18 ha island with 12 m stratified mound and urns
14.9505° S · 64.8050° WCauseway to Neighbour Island (800 m×8 m)
causeway800 m causeway embankment to neighbouring forest island
14.9500° S · 64.8000° WWestern Lagoon Fish Weir (120×80 m)
weirLagoon 120×80 m with stake fish weir alignment
14.9495° S · 64.7950° W