AN
ARTIFICIAL LANDSCAPE-SCALE FISHERY
IN THE BOLIVIAN AMAZON
Artist’s reconstructions of a landscape of fish weirs and artificial ponds in the Bolivian Amazon (drawing by Daniel Brinkmeier, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois USA. © Daniel Brinkmeier).
Statement by the Artist [click here]
These images can be used by the press to illustrate stories about the research on fish weirs in the Bolivian Amazon. If you use these images to illustrate news stories on the web or in print, you MUST give the artist, Daniel Brinkmeier (Field Museum of Natural History) credit for his artwork. You can contact Mr. Brinkmeier directly using the information provided below. For additional information about the research, go to contact information on main page].
Figure
1f: (above) © Daniel Brinkmeier, Field
Museum of Natural History
If you
use these images to illustrate news stories on the web or in print, you MUST
give the artist, Daniel Brinkmeier (Field Museum of Natural History) credit for his artwork.
Figure
2f: (above) © Daniel Brinkmeier, Field Museum of Natural History
If you
use these images to illustrate news stories on the web or in print, you MUST
give the artist, Daniel Brinkmeier (Field Museum of Natural History) credit for his artwork.
Information
about the reconstruction:
The drawings are "artist's reconstructions" or "artist’s renderings" of the landscape of the Bolivian Amazon (Baures, Bolivia) around AD 1500. The artist is Dan Brinkmeier (Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago). The drawings are based on earthworks recorded in the savanna by our Bolivian-American archaeological research team (University of Pennsylvania, Dirección Nacional de Arqueología y Antropología, La Paz). During the rainy season (December through May), the savannas flood with the thin sheet of water. Fish enter the savanna from the rivers, lakes, and wetlands during this flood period.
Specific Features in the Drawing:
fish weir: the "zig-zag" earthworks crossing from upper left to lower right. The fish weir is a low ridge of earth used to channel fish through small funnel like opening where they can easily be caught using basket or net traps (see insert in the drawing).
artificial ponds: the circular features in the drawing are ponds that were excavated by the fishermen to concentrate and store live fish during the dry season. Fish are trapped here as the waters recede and the savanna dries out (during the dry season, June through December). These ponds are surrounded by rings of royal palms (Mauritia flexuosa). This palm is one of the most useful trees for native peoples (fronds for thatching roofs, trunks for house beams, wood for bows, heart of palm and palm fruits for food, etc.; in addition, the important game animals eat the fruits). The palms shade the ponds (reducing evaporation) and provide food (fruits) for the fish in the ponds.
For definitions of Technical Terms: click here
Information
about the artist:
Daniel A. Brinkmeier
Program Developer, Community Outreach
Environmental and Conservation Programs
The Field Museum
1400 Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605-2496
e-mail: dbrinkmeier@fmnh.org
Statement by the Artist [click here]
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