Archaeology allows the study of environmental limitations of an area, according to Betty J. Meggers, who with her late husband Clifford Evans studied the archaeology of the Amazon Basin.  

Speaking at Boise State University, Dr. Meggers, who is associated with the Smithsonian Institution,  indicated that an examination of pottery shows the periods of habitation in the various areas along the Amazon.  

"Humans leave a consistent record that can be dated," she said.  Whenever an area shows a lack of pottery, it is likely because of a climatic change such as a drought.  These droughts may correspond with periods of  El Niño.  (El Niño is a disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system in the tropical Pacific having important consequences for weather around the globe.)

A study of the habitation patterns and living conditions of the indigenous peoples can warn against future exploitation of an area.  Government planners should take into consideration these patterns in future development of a region like the Amazon.

The Amazon Basin would be desert except for the recycling of the vegetation and moisture from the trees, Dr. Meggers said. Half of the rainfall in the Amazon depends on the moisture from the forests.  Cutting of the rain forests lessens the amount of moisture.  Also, slash and burn and permanent cultivation leads to the loss of nutrients in the soil.  

Dr Meggers, a pioneer in South American archaeology, is considered to be one of the most influential archaeologists of the 20th century. She is best known for her work in Brazil, Equador and Guyana, much of it done in collaboration with Clifford Evans. She has published more than 300 books, monographs and journal articles on the prehistory of South America.

Here are some examples of her work:
Meggers, Betty. Amazonia: Man and Culture in a Counterfeit Paradise. Rev. ed. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1995.  (paperback)

Meggers, Betty J. 1992.  Jomon-Valdivia similarities: convergence or contact? New England Antiquities Research Assn. Journal, 27, p. 23-32, bibl., ill. 

Meggers, Betty J. Prehistoric America. Chicago, IL: Aldine-Atherton, Inc., 1979. 2nd edition. 
General introduction to the prehistoric cultures of North and South America from an ecological perspective, utilizing the culture area approach. Includes basic maps and bibliography. Good introduction for the non-specialist.

Meggers, Betty J. Ecuador. New York, NY: Praeger Publishers, 1966. 
Good overview of Ecuadorian prehistory from the pre-ceramic periods through the Inca conquests. Special emphasis paid to technical refinements in pottery. 

Links:

http://www.anthro.mankato.msus.edu/information/biography/klmno/meggers_betty.html

http://www.macropress.com/meggars.htm

Copyright John Fisher April 19, 2001