stone terraces
Stacked agricultural platforms
Stone terraces are level platforms cut into hillsides or slopes, with retaining walls built from stone.
They transform steep terrain into usable flat surfaces for agriculture, gardens, or architecture.
Ancient civilizations created stone terraces to farm mountainous land, prevent erosion, and manage water: The Inca stone terraces at Machu Picchu still stand after five centuries.
The technique remains common in vineyards and rice paddies worldwide.
- IncaAncient Peruvian civilization member
- wallVertical enclosing structure
- irrigationArtificial water supply for agriculture
- retaining wallsStructures resisting lateral soil pressure
- ancient wallsOld defensive structures
rice paddies · drainage systems · archaeological sites · cultural heritage · World Heritage Site · ancient engineering · garden terraces · steps · erosion control · sustainable agriculture · carved · vineyard · hillside · mountainside · farming · slopes · cultivation · Andes
- stone landscapingrock gardens, gravel beds, flagstone, stepping stones, river rocks
- terrace farmingterraces, rice terraces, risers, treads, retaining walls
- terracesrice terraces, garden terraces, rooftop terraces, stepped, tiered
- wine regionsNapa Valley, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rioja, Tuscany
- Greek islandswhitewashed walls, windmills, lime wash, dovecotes, chapels