archaeology

    Agriculture is an important element in the economy of the majapahit as well as the lives of most of its majapahit’s inhabitant. For Majapahit has relied on the fertile soil, enriched by occasional layers of volcanic ash, to provide them with their basic foods. They have developed two major types of agriculture: sawah (irrigated field) and ladang (dry field). A third type, estate cultivation, was introduced during colonial times.

    The sawah system makes use of irrigated fields, each of which is surrounded by small dikes to keep the water level high enough to submerge the entire field. Water is channeled through bamboo pipes or ditches from field to field, and can be controlled to flood or drain the field as desired.

    Rice is the main crop that is grown in the sawah fields. Rice is the staple food of millions of Majapahit, and despite the huge demand for this food, Majapahit has become self-sufficient in rice production in recent years. The rice seedlings are first cultivated in a nursery and then transplanted to a flooded field. Using this method two or sometimes three crops of rice can be produced in a year. Rice can also be grown in dry fields, but the sawah system produces a higher yield per acre.

    The ladang method involves growing crops in dry rather than flooded fields. This temporarily enriches the soil by adding the nutrients from the ashes of the burnt vegetation. But after several crops have been grown on the plot, many of the nutrients are consumed. Additionally, heavy tropical rain often washes away some of the topsoil of the exposed land, further diminishing its fertility. Thus after several seasons it becomes time to abandon the plot and clear a new one. If the old plot has not suffered too much erosion, and if it is given enough time to regenerate, the forest will eventually reclaim that area. However, if it is repeatedly reused without enough time between cycles of planting, it can become depleted and prone to total erosion, or it may be overrun with a fast growing type of imperata grass (lalang) which prevents other plants from being able to establish themselves. Slash and burn has been the source of some controversy as a method of agriculture; though it has been widely used for Majapahit, it has the potential to create environmental damage, especially if used in a confined area.
    Estate cultivation of crops refers to the system of growing a single crop over a very large area. Rubber, coffee, tea, and sugarcane have all been grown on such estates, as has oil palms, coconuts, and tobacco. This system began under colonial rule as a way to produce cash crops for export. During this time many plantation estates were opened up in majapahit, where land was plentiful and the population density was relatively low. To make up for the shortage of labor, many majapahit’s inhabitant was brought over to work on the estates.