Laurence Blair

domesticated and propagated and made it so that it kind of flourishes in these massive big berry pods, basically. It's this really abundant fruit full of all kinds of good stuff. And so this process of domesticating these crop or these plants, I should say, these fruits, this was well underway by about 6,000 BC. So it's up there in the same league as, yeah,

domesticated and propagated and made it so that it kind of flourishes in these massive big berry pods, basically. It's this really abundant fruit full of all kinds of good stuff. And so this process of domesticating these crop or these plants, I should say, these fruits, this was well underway by about 6,000 BC. So it's up there in the same league as, yeah,

domesticated and propagated and made it so that it kind of flourishes in these massive big berry pods, basically. It's this really abundant fruit full of all kinds of good stuff. And so this process of domesticating these crop or these plants, I should say, these fruits, this was well underway by about 6,000 BC. So it's up there in the same league as, yeah,

So America included, but I think we need to add another circle, you know, for the kind of the Western Amazon in particular. And yeah, it's one of the major centres where farming... I think farming, we can talk about that.

So America included, but I think we need to add another circle, you know, for the kind of the Western Amazon in particular. And yeah, it's one of the major centres where farming... I think farming, we can talk about that.

So America included, but I think we need to add another circle, you know, for the kind of the Western Amazon in particular. And yeah, it's one of the major centres where farming... I think farming, we can talk about that.

I think it might even be better to use the word agroforestry, because this is a kind of way of planting crops, planting fruits, vegetables, which doesn't involve large amounts of deforestation. Crucially, and we're not just talking about tree-hugging for the sake of it.

I think it might even be better to use the word agroforestry, because this is a kind of way of planting crops, planting fruits, vegetables, which doesn't involve large amounts of deforestation. Crucially, and we're not just talking about tree-hugging for the sake of it.

I think it might even be better to use the word agroforestry, because this is a kind of way of planting crops, planting fruits, vegetables, which doesn't involve large amounts of deforestation. Crucially, and we're not just talking about tree-hugging for the sake of it.

What we see is that Amazonian civilizations are actually creating these trails through the forest about 25 miles into the jungle from their settlements and propagating useful fruit trees and vegetables along those trails. And I think it's just common sense because if you haven't got access to metal tools, if you're using a stone axe, it takes you all day to cut down a tree.

What we see is that Amazonian civilizations are actually creating these trails through the forest about 25 miles into the jungle from their settlements and propagating useful fruit trees and vegetables along those trails. And I think it's just common sense because if you haven't got access to metal tools, if you're using a stone axe, it takes you all day to cut down a tree.

What we see is that Amazonian civilizations are actually creating these trails through the forest about 25 miles into the jungle from their settlements and propagating useful fruit trees and vegetables along those trails. And I think it's just common sense because if you haven't got access to metal tools, if you're using a stone axe, it takes you all day to cut down a tree.

So it's much easier if you just, okay, we'll thin out the undergrowth a little bit and we'll basically plant this kind of, living larder, which is going to restock itself. It's simple.

So it's much easier if you just, okay, we'll thin out the undergrowth a little bit and we'll basically plant this kind of, living larder, which is going to restock itself. It's simple.

So it's much easier if you just, okay, we'll thin out the undergrowth a little bit and we'll basically plant this kind of, living larder, which is going to restock itself. It's simple.

And I think, to give another example, I think we touched on this already, but these crops we think of as being quintessentially Andean, like maize, or quintessentially Mesoamerican, like cacao, actually seem to have originated in northwestern Amazonia. So cacao, the Mexica and the Maya, they use it as currency, they drink it as this sacred bitter drink called chopalatl.

And I think, to give another example, I think we touched on this already, but these crops we think of as being quintessentially Andean, like maize, or quintessentially Mesoamerican, like cacao, actually seem to have originated in northwestern Amazonia. So cacao, the Mexica and the Maya, they use it as currency, they drink it as this sacred bitter drink called chopalatl.

And I think, to give another example, I think we touched on this already, but these crops we think of as being quintessentially Andean, like maize, or quintessentially Mesoamerican, like cacao, actually seem to have originated in northwestern Amazonia. So cacao, the Mexica and the Maya, they use it as currency, they drink it as this sacred bitter drink called chopalatl.

was actually first being consumed in the Ecuadorian Amazon about 5,300 years ago, maybe by the ancestors of those Upano Valley garden cities. So I think the point you make there, Tristan, about a comparison with England, with the English countryside or the British countryside, I think is a good one, because today it's this kind of jumbled landscape. It's gardens, fields, parkland, corpses.

was actually first being consumed in the Ecuadorian Amazon about 5,300 years ago, maybe by the ancestors of those Upano Valley garden cities. So I think the point you make there, Tristan, about a comparison with England, with the English countryside or the British countryside, I think is a good one, because today it's this kind of jumbled landscape. It's gardens, fields, parkland, corpses.