Abstract
Dietary isotope studies in the New World are rife with the presence of “maize-based societies”, yet a singular focus on maize downplays the plant biodiversity that was key to community resilience during times of political or ecological crisis. Maize was a central crop, and it served as an anchor for the ecologically complex and diverse milpa system used across Mesoamerica in the past and present. The milpa system is both a social and ecological arrangement that relies on the interwoven food management system of several different cultivated plants with phases of fallow and/or secondary growth or foraged plants. Focusing on stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes, this study presents values from a broad range of modern plants traditionally found in milpa contexts, including cacti, wild greens, and fruit trees. By examining the modern plant isotope data through the case study of Tepeticpac, Tlaxcallan—a Late Postclassic site in Central Mexico—this study demonstrates how a milpa-based foodweb allowed Tlaxcallan to adapt during times of potential political conflict. Previous analyses of Tlaxcallan’s resistance to Aztec imperial expansion have focused on political strategies at the state level. This paper argues that analyzing milpa foodwebs demonstrates the importance of household-level economies and ecologies as sites of adaptability during moments of political instability. When analyses expand to include foraged and cultivated foods—what Lopez Corral (2020) calls “subsistence agriculture”—the full breadth and power of the milpa food systems is revealed. As we suggest in this paper, these small-scale food systems worked together with institutional systems to create greater adaptability towards external threats like warfare and economic blockade.
Published Version
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