Mote: An ancient recipe in Andean kitchens. Ethnoarchaeological and taphonomic analysis

Abstract

Mote is a traditional Andean recipe that can be traced back to pre-Hispanic kitchens. This culinary practice consists of boiling maize grains that were previously dried and peeled with lime or plant ashes. This dish has been part of the dietary staple of people through time. This paper aims to identify vegetal macro and micro remains and the culinary equipment used during mote preparation, to generate indicators for reconstructing past cooking practices. Ethnobotanical, ethnographic, and archaeological methodologies were used to recreate mote recipes following traditional knowledge from Quebrada de Humahuaca. Kernels and starch grains were analyzed to register their transformation through the different stages of the recipe. Functional studies were conducted on ceramic vessels, considering morphometric and performance criteria, as well as use-alteration analysis. As a result, we created a reference collection of modified starch grains and caryopsis fragments, and general processing residues. In addition, ceramic studies allowed recognizing vessels that, due to their physical characteristics and use-alteration traces, could have been used in different stages of mote preparation.