Bird poop

 The use of guano in the world's driest desert made life possible for ancient people

Atacama Desert in South America

One of the driest deserts in the world is the Atacama Desert in South America. It is located along the Pacific coast in the Andes mountains in Peru and Chile and it is the only desert which is drier than the North and South Poles, which surprisingly are deserts too! the Atacama is so dry that it basically receives no rain or precipitation at all in some years. Despite these conditions, some ancient American Indians were able to create farms and villages in this extremely dry location. Scientists have determined that they had one main ingredient for success; bird poop! Otherwise known as guano, bird droppings have a great deal of nitrogen in them, which really helps plants grow. Scientists have discovered that the reason why ancient people were able to live in this desert was because the imported guano from the seacoast, 50 miles away. Along the Pacific coast there are millions of birds and guano is easily available. Ancient people brought this guano many miles to be able to use in Atacama gardens.

More pictures of the Atacama desert

This shows how even in the distant and ancient past, humans were very creative and clever in adapting to their environments!

Question: What are some interesting facts that you know about the ancient American Indians?

Ancient South American Civilizations Bloomed in the Desert Thanks to Seabird Poop

How a pre-Incan civilisation thrived in the Atacama Desert thanks to seabird poo fertiliser