Seabird poop was the foundation of the Chincha Kingdom — and archaeologists just proved it with ancient corn

Farmers use expensive fertilizers to grow crops, but recent research suggests they might not need to spend that money on something that can be easily replaced by bird poop. Yes, as astonishing as it sounds, Dr. Jacob Bongers, an archaeologist, suggested that seabird guano — nutrient-rich bird droppings — might have been a driving force behind the rise of one of the most prosperous pre-Inca societies, the Chincha Kingdom. The extensive study, published in PLOS One, examined 35 maize samples from burial tombs in the Chincha Valley and found a surprising link to bird poop.

Researchers found a high concentration of nitrogen in the maize samples, far beyond the normal range in crops grown in that particular area. Soon, they concluded: the crops were fertilized with seabird guano, enriched in nitrogen because of the birds' diet. When researchers dug further into regional archaeological imagery featuring seabirds, fish, and sprouting maize on textiles, ceramics, pottery, etc., they were convinced that seabirds and maize held cultural importance in these ancient societies. "Guano dramatically boosted the production of maize (corn), and this agricultural surplus crucially helped fuel the Chincha Kingdom’s economy, driving their trade, wealth, population growth, and regional influence, and shaping their strategic alliance with the Inca Empire. In ancient Andean cultures, fertilizer was power," Dr. Bongers explained. Researchers also figured that people in those days recognized the importance of fertilizer, and intentionally collected and used guano for farming.

Peru, one of the driest places on Earth, makes farming very difficult. Irrigated soils also lose their nutrients quickly. However, people soon realized that seabird guano could be used as a potential fertilizer, allowing maize production in the Chincha Valley. It was so successful that the people there quickly became major coastal traders. "But what underpinned that prosperity? Previous research often pointed to spondylus shells, the spiny oyster, as the key driver of merchant wealth. Our evidence suggests guano was central to the Chincha Kingdom’s success, with the Chincha’s maritime knowledge and access to the Chincha Islands likely reframing their strategic importance in the region," Dr. Bongers said. But how did bird poop as fertilizer strengthen Chincha's strategic alliance with the Inca Empire? The Incas saw maize as a very valuable crop; in fact, they were obsessed with a special drink called chicha made of maize. But they couldn't produce it in their areas, and so they had to depend on Chincha Valley for maize. "It expanded Chincha’s agricultural productivity and mercantile influence, leading to exchanges of resources and power," Dr. Bongers explained. It's not the first time we've heard of something so 'eww' to be used as fertilizer.

In fact, in eighteenth-century Japan, human excrement (feces and urine), known as "night soil" or shimogoe, played a very important role in agriculture. It became so popular that, well into the 20th century, it started selling commercially. Some experts even suggest that human urine is an incredible free fertilizer for the garden. It is said that urine is rich in nutrients plants need most — nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK). Interestingly, its natural composition resembles the NPK ratios found in commercial fertilizers in the markets.

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