Taíno conuco (mound cultivation)
Conuco taíno (cultivo en montones)
- Date
- c. 1000-1492 · confidence low
- Place
- Cordillera Central, Hispaniola, Dominican Republic
- Credited to
- Taíno people
- Field
- Life & health
What it is
The Taíno grew manioc and sweet potato in earth mounds about a metre high, which improve drainage, conserve moisture and allow staggered harvests. The system, observed by the first chroniclers, sustained dense chiefdoms in the Greater Antilles.
The consolidation date of the mounds is imprecise; the system appears described by Oviedo and Las Casas in the 16th century. The location is indicative of Hispaniola, although it was practised across the Taíno area.
What it led to
- stable production of manioc for cassava bread and of sweet potato
- low-effort agriculture that supported high population densities
- persistence of the word 'conuco' for the peasant plot in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean