Which civilization is known for terrace farming in the Andes?

• A. Aztec
• B. Inca
• C. Moche
• D. Mapuche

Answer: (B)

Terrace farming is a mountain-adaptation that turns steep slopes into flat, well-drained fields using stone retaining walls to hold soil and water. In the Andes, the Inca are best known for creating extensive networks of these terraces, or andenes, which, along with sophisticated irrigation, let them grow crops like potatoes, maize, and quinoa at very high elevations and support large populations. The other cultures listed lived in different environments and used different farming methods—Aztecs built chinampas in lakes of central Mexico, Moche were a coastal desert people with irrigation suited to their landscape, and Mapuche practiced agriculture in southern regions with distinct practices—not the Andean terracing the Inca are famous for.