Deciphering millennia of human-landscape interactions in coastal Peru, through novel luminescence approaches

Our study aims to investigate the long-term impacts of agricultural practices on water and sediment resources in the Chicama Valley, Peru. This is an arid region with a long history of human habitation, recorded in abundant archaeological sites. By reading the patterns of human influences in the Chicama Valley, this study will reveal key management practices beneficial to steady channel development in the valley and contribute to understanding how this coupled human-nature system evolved in the past 2 ka. The research will develop novel sediment dating techniques and provide insights into the future of food production in arid regions.