Ancient farming in eastern North America

Abstract

Answers to one of the great archaeological questions are changing. The origins of agriculture have been a centerpiece of research for many years. Specific what, where, and when questions are being resolved. Recent years have seen an extraordinary burst of new information about this fascinating subject (1–3). Today, there are at least 10 recognized regions in the world where different species of plants and animals were first domesticated (Fig. 1). Various theories have arisen over the last century and a half to explain how and why this happened, but no consensus has emerged. A variety of causal factors have been explored as potential drivers for domestication: climate change, carbon dioxide increases, population growth, developments in human cognition, ideology, and increasing social complexity and differentiation (4–8). New information from the eastern United States in the article by Smith and Yarnell in this issue of PNAS (9) provides much food for thought.