Agricultural Sites
Cultivation Terrace
A cultivation terrace is an artificially created platform - often on a slope, which has been built up to provide a flat surface for the cultivation of crops.
Cultivation Terrace - satellite
Cultivation Terrace - digital terrain model
Cultivation terraces originated in the prehistoric period and are one of the few prehistoric field systems to survive. Cultivation terraces can be intentionally created or can be the unintended but useful result of continuous ploughing on a sloped area. Soil is moved down the slope forming level surfaces and giving a hill a distinct stepped profile. Maintaining these level platforms helped to retain moisture for the crops and also prevent further erosion.
What to look for:
- Long flat areas creating a stepped profile in hillside
