Prehistoric Agriculture at La Plata: Exploring Soil Texture Changes across Features

Numerous factors affect soil composition, including the parent rock, time, rainfall, wind, and animal burrowing and wastes, but human activities undoubtedly cause the most extensive change in soil properties over the shortest periods of time. At Pueblo La Plata, intensive agricultural practices were utilized for just over 200 years, and yet, six centuries later, the legacies created on the landscape are still as visible. This paper will focus on the effects of prehistoric agriculture on soil texture around La Plata and will provide data that support the idea that ancient farmers altered surrounding soils for their benefit. The soil information collected in this particular study is essential to understanding prehistoric agriculture in the Southwest region.