Mesoamerican Area Research Articles

The T-shaped “axe” from Northeast Honduras: Observations on chronology and function of a pre Columbian stone tool

This paper provides a description and analysis of a distinctive type of pre-Columbian stone tool, usually termed a T-shaped axe, found almost exclusively in Northeast Honduras, Central America. There have been very few detailed or technical studies of lithics from Honduras. Early archaeological research and the current understanding of the regional prehistory are included, with Northeast Honduras viewed as a frontier zone located between the Mesoamerican and Isthmo-Columbian culture areas. Our study examines, in particular, a collection of these tools curated today at the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (CUMAA). The 39 (whole and fragmentary) specimens were collected between 1937 and 1939, from the Bay Islands, Northeast Honduras, but have never been published. This paper classifies the collection specimens into five varieties, based on morphology, with sample statistics, form dimensions, and illustrations provided for each. Manufacturing technology is primarily percussion flaking. The tool type is compared with similar specimens excavated and described from the Bay Islands and adjacent Honduran mainland, and with similar appearing implements from elsewhere in Central America. Insights about the possible age and function of these unusual, and distinctive, lithics are included. Based on preliminary macroscopic and microscopic analyses, it is concluded that the tools may have been employed as agricultural implements (hoes or spades), primarily for digging activities, rather than as axes or weapons used for cutting and slicing. It is most likely that these implements first appeared about 800 CE, and continued in use until at least 1400 CE. The tool type is most probably a local (not imported) product. More functional analysis is encouraged.

Aspectos de genética poblacional en Mesoamérica

<p>No se sabe si la variabilidad de una población en tiempos prehispánicos conformaba una población conjunta de distintos orígenes si convivía como grupo cultural pero separada en estratos (de distinto origen), o bien, si su diversidad era semejante a otras regiones, sitios o poblaciones. En tanto no se tengan suficientes muestreos genéticos de restos arqueológicos de distintos periodos es imposible definir a Mesoamérica en términos de herencia biológica. Sin embargo, podría suponerse que antes de los eventos posthispánicos, el flujo de genes estuvo condicionado, en principio, por las distancias y las dificultades geográficas respecto al comercio y las relaciones sociales. Así, con el objeto de analizar cuánto de la distribución genética corresponde al área mesoamericana –y tomando en cuenta que el concepto mismo ha estado en debate– con base en marcadores fundadores de adn mitocondrial, se exponen datos a partir de poblaciones urbanas y hablantes de lenguas indígenas de 16 estados de México. Se analizaron haplotipos obtenidos con la técnica de pcr y rflp; las distancias Phist se estimaron con el programa arlequin 3.0. Los resultados mostraron que las distintas poblaciones se presentan en un <em>continuum</em> de flujo genético en todo el país, mayor entre las poblaciones urbanas, pero con diferencias tanto entre grandes regiones como dentro de las mismas. La división en dos grandes ramas se da en un rango de entre 0 y 0.19. El sureste (Yucatán, Campeche y mayas) junto con los zapotecos se separan del resto de los grupos, y éstos, a su vez, se subdividen coincidiendo con Mesoamérica algunas veces y otras no. </p>

Morphological and Agronomic Characterization of Spanish Landraces of Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) originated on the American continent, specifically in the Mesoamerican zone, and their domestication took place independently in the Mesoamerican area and the Andean zone, giving rise to two well-differentiated genetic pools. It was also noted that the Andean wild populations originated from only a few thousand individuals from the Mesoamerican wild populations, which produced a great bottleneck in the formation of the Andean population. During centuries of cultivation in the Iberian Peninsula after its introduction in the 16th century, beans adapted to new environments, evolving numerous local landraces. Twenty-four local landraces of P. vulgaris from Spain were analyzed in the greenhouse during two consecutive seasons. From each genotype, five plants were grown and characterized for 17 quantitative and 15 qualitative traits using the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) descriptors. Data were analyzed statistically by analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis. The results obtained indicate a high variability for most traits, especially those related to the yield and its components. The PCA and cluster analysis separated the landraces according to the color of the seed, the yield, and the pod and seed traits related to yield. Numerous traits exhibited interactions between the genotype and the environment. Most accessions reached higher yields in spring, in which solar radiation favors photosynthesis and, consequently, photoassimilation. The different response to the changing environment of the set of accessions studied in the present work is of great interest, and it can be exploited in breeding cultivars adapted to a broader range of environmental conditions.

Verb-framed spatial deixis in Mesoamerican languages and the increasing complexity of source constructions via Spanishde

AbstractThis paper aims to investigate the non-overt marking of spatial relations in the Mesoamerican area with regard to the relationship between spatial interrogatives and spatial declaratives. It is argued that languages which indiscriminately employ the same word form as spatial deictic interrogative for all three basic spatial relations,place, goalandsource, do not employ grammaticalized markers for allative and/or ablative functions. Instead they rely on motion verb constructions the semantics of which determine the spatial reference as well as the direction of motion. These systems, however, change via the intrusion of the Spanish prepositionde.

Health system strategies to increase HIV screening among pregnant women in Mesoamerica

BackgroundTo propose health system strategies to meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations on HIV screening through antenatal care (ANC) services, we assessed predictors of HIV screening, and simulated the impact of changes in these predictors on the probability of HIV screening in Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico (State of Chiapas), Nicaragua, Panama, and El Salvador.MethodsWe interviewed a representative sample of women of reproductive age from the poorest Mesoamerican areas on ANC services, including HIV screening. We used a multivariate logistic regression model to examine correlates of HIV screening. First differences in expected probabilities of HIV screening were simulated for health system correlates that were associated with HIV screening.ResultsOverall, 40.7% of women were screened for HIV during their last pregnancy through ANC. This rate was highest in El Salvador and lowest in Guatemala. The probability of HIV screening increased with education, household expenditure, the number of ANC visits, and the type of health care attendant of ANC visits. If all women were to be attended by a nurse, or a physician, and were to receive at least four ANC visits, the probability of HIV screening would increase by 12.5% to reach 45.8%.ConclusionsTo meet WHO’s recommendations for HIV screening, special attention should be given to the poorest and least educated women to ensure health equity and progress toward an HIV-free generation. In parallel, health systems should be strengthened in terms of testing and human resources to ensure that every pregnant woman gets screened for HIV. A 12.5% increase in HIV screening would require a minimum of four ANC visits and an appropriate professional attendance of these visits.

Análisis gravitrópico de la raíz primordial de plantas mesoamericanas, en condiciones de microgravedad simulada

Esta investigación muestra datos del crecimiento y curvatura gravitrópica de seis especies de importancia actual para el área Mesoamericana, Paseolus vulgaris var. Criolla, Paseolus vulgaris var. Amadeus 77, Phaseolus lunatus Phaseolus acutifolious, Vigna unguiculata y Sorghum bicolor; bajo condiciones de microgravedad simulada en clinostato de un eje, así como cortes histológicos de los tejidos de las muestras clinorotadas y las muestras Control 1g.Tiene como objetivo comprender el comportamiento de la raíz primordial de plantas actualmente cultivadas en Mesoamérica, cuando la fuerza neta sobre la vertical es menor que la fuerza gravitacional; Esto con la intención de identificar las especies vegetales que pudieran tener un crecimiento óptimo a baja gravedad.Las pruebas de laboratorio se llevaron a cabo en las instalaciones de la Facultad de Ciencias Espaciales UNAH. Sembrando en discos de Petri con un sustrato llamado agar y dentro de cámaras húmedas para mantener iguales condiciones de humedad y temperatura. Luego de germinadas las raíces se procedió al proceso de clinorotación de la muestra llamada “Clinorotada” (sometida a microgravedad) durante sesiones de dos horas; tomando fotografías cada treinta minutos para su posterior análisis de comparación. Los datos fueron analizados mediante el programa ImageJ, y tabulados mediante Excel.Phaseolus lunatus, Vigna unguiculata y Soghum bicolor son tres especies en las que se pudo observar que su crecimiento no ha sido considerablemente afectado a baja gravedad. Por lo que son especies que podrían ser consideradas para mayores estudios en microgravedad a bordo de sondas espaciales.Revista Portal de la Ciencia, No. 12, junio 2017; 73-96

Reproducción de la sardina de agua dulce Pepesca (Astyanax fasciatus) en condiciones de laboratorio

La pepesca o sardina de agua dulce es un caracido de amplia distribución en ambientes de agua dulce en Latinoamérica. Existen muchas especies de Astyanax siendo la fasciatus una de las más abundante en la zona mesoamericana.La pepesca es una especie con tallas máximas de 15 centímetros de LT y pesos entre los 28 y 35 gramos/pez. Es una especie preciada como recurso nutricional y facilidad de cocinarla. La investigación fue dirigida a evaluar técnicas para lograr la reproducción de la especie bajo condiciones de laboratorio. Organismos capturados en medios naturales y adaptados a condiciones de manejo fueron utilizados para la investigación. Varias metodologías fueron evaluadas entre estas el masaje abdominal de organismos, shock térmico (incremento de temperatura) y el de foto período por 48 horas. Varios parámetros zoométricos fueron utilizados como indicadores reproductivos. La selección de organismos basados en el IC (> 2.0 en hembras y > 1.5 en machos) y la metodología de foto periodo fueron efectivos en lograr la reproducción de A. fasciatus en condiciones de laboratorio. La pepesca se potencia como un valioso recurso genético para la acuicultura por su alta producción de biomasa, adaptación a alimentos y a manejo en general.

Genomic insights on the ethno-history of the Maya and the 'Ladinos' from Guatemala.

BackgroundGuatemala is a multiethnic and multilingual country located in Central America. The main population groups separate ‘Ladinos’ (mixed Native American-African-Spanish), and Native indigenous people of Maya descent. Among the present-day Guatemalan Maya, there are more than 20 different ethnic groups separated by different languages and cultures. Genetic variation of these communities still remains largely unexplored. The principal aim of this study is to explore the genetic variability of the Maya and ‘Ladinos’ from Guatemala by means of uniparental and ancestry informative markers (AIMs).ResultsAnalyses of uniparental genetic markers indicate that Maya have a dominant Native American ancestry (mitochondrial DNA [mtDNA]: 100%; Y-chromosome: 94%). ‘Ladino’, however, show a clear gender-bias as indicated by the large European ancestry observed in the Y-chromosome (75%) compared to the mtDNA (0%). Autosomal polymorphisms (AIMs) also mirror this marked gender-bias: (i) Native American ancestry: 92% for the Maya vs. 55% for the ‘Ladino’, and (ii) European ancestry: 8% for the Maya vs. 41% for the ‘Ladino’. In addition, the impact of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade on the present-day Guatemalan population is very low (and only occurs in the ‘Ladino’; mtDNA: 9%; AIMs: 4%), in part mirroring the fact that Guatemala has a predominant orientation to the Pacific Ocean instead of a Caribbean one. Sequencing of entire Guatemalan mitogenomes has led to improved Native American phylogeny via the addition of new haplogroups that are mainly observed in Mesoamerica and/or the North of South America.ConclusionsThe data reveal the existence of a fluid gene flow in the Mesoamerican area and a predominant unidirectional flow towards South America, most likely occurring during the Pre-Classic (1800 BC-200 AD) and the Classic (200–1000 AD) Eras of the Mesoamerican chronology, coinciding with development of the most distinctive and advanced Mesoamerican civilization, the Maya. Phylogenetic features of mtDNA data also suggest a demographic scenario that is compatible with moderate local endogamy and isolation in the Maya combined with episodes of gene exchange between ethnic groups, suggesting an ethno-genesis in the Guatemalan Maya that is recent and supported on a cultural rather than a biological basis.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1339-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Novel Rhizobium lineages isolated from root nodules of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Andean and Mesoamerican areas

The taxonomic affiliations of nineteen root-nodule bacteria isolated from the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Mexico, Ecuador and Brazil were investigated by analyses of 16S rRNA and of four protein-coding housekeeping genes. One strain from Mexico could be assigned to Rhizobium etli and two from Brazil to Rhizobium leucaenae, whereas another from Mexico corresponded to a recently described bean-nodulating species-level lineage related to R. etli and Rhizobium phaseoli. Ten strains isolated in Ecuador and Mexico corresponded to three novel Rhizobium lineages that fall into the R. phaseoli/R. etli/Rhizobium leguminosarum clade. One of those lineages, with representatives isolated mostly from Ecuador, seems to be dominant in beans from that Andean region. Only one of the Mexican strains clustered within the Rhizobium tropici clade, but as an independent lineage. Interestingly, four strains were affiliated with species within the Rhizobium radiobacter clade. The existence of yet non-described native Rhizobium lineages in both the Andean and Mesoamerican areas is discussed in relation to common-bean diversity and environmental conditions.

10 Land, Labor, Bodies, and Objects: Comments on Inalienability and Mesoamerican Social Life

ABSTRACTThe original use of the term “inalienable possessions” by Annette Weiner applied to movable objects. As the contributors to this volume bring out, the concept has much greater potential when discussed in the context of all material life. In this chapter, the advantages of a broader use of the term inalienability are discussed and the chapters compared based on three major themes: (1) the importance of eliminating dichotomies such as alienability–inalienability, prestige–nonprestige goods, and elites–commoners; (2) how inalienability extends interpretations of the materiality of social life; and (3) the varied ways in which inalienability was part of performative practices that created, reinforced, and transformed value, identity, and social distinctions in the Mesoamerican area.

A preliminary checklist of macrofungi of Guatemala, with notes on edibility and traditional knowledge

Despite its biological wealth, current knowledge on the macromycetes inhabiting Guatemala is scant, in part because of the prolonged civil war that has prevented exploration of many ecological niches. We provide a preliminary literature–based checklist of the macrofungi occuring in the various ecological regions of Guatemala, supplemented with original observations reported here for the first time. Three hundred and fifty species, 163 genera, and 20 orders in the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota have been reported from Guatemala. Many of the entries pertain to ectomycorrhizal fungal species that live in symbiosis with the several Pinus and Quercus species that form the extensive pine and mixed forests of the highlands (up to 3600 m a.s.l.). As part of an ongoing study of the ethnomycology of the Maya populations in the Guatemalan highlands, we also report on the traditional knowledge about macrofungi and their uses among native people. These preliminary data confirm the impression that Guatemala hosts a macrofungal diversity that is by no means smaller than that recorded in better studied neighboring Mesoamerican areas, such as Mexico and Costa Rica.

Technical Study of a set of Metallic Artifacts from the Maya Site of Lagartero, Chiapas, Mexico

ABSTRACTDuring the excavations made at a burial of the post-Classic Mayan period (1220-1521 A.D.) in the pyramid number 2 of the pre-Hispanic site of Lagartero, Chiapas, Mexico, a set of four small metallic artifacts depicting reptile’s heads, were recovered. The objects were in poor conservation conditions and were taken to the Metal Conservation Laboratory of the National School of Conservation (ENCRyM- INAH) for suitable cleaning and conservation treatments.Analyses allowed identifying important technological features such as gilding remains. The analytical techniques included optical microscopy followed by X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF), and Scanning Electron Microscope-coupled with Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (MEB-EDS). For the elemental depth profile a combined Particle X-Ray Emission Spectroscopy and Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (PIXE–RBS) analysis was carried out.The results indicate that the objects are made of a copper alloy, and then gilded probably using electrochemical replacement gilding (thickness has less than 1 μm). This technology has been observed in other metallic objects recovered from the Chichen-Itza Cenote in Yucatan, but it was not available in Mesoamerican areas so far. So, it could imply that these artifacts might have been imported from South American areas.

Consideraciones sobre el origen y primera dispersión del aguacate (Persea americana, Lauraceae)

The origin of the avocado and its varieties has been placed in the Mesoamerican area; however there are still some aspects that have not been entirely explained. We surveyed this issue integrating geological, archaeological and paleoecological data that allowed us to examine the most ancient ancestors, their geographic distribution and their possible dispersion routes. In the light of these data, we propose that the origin of the avocado could have been in the area currently occupied by Sierra Nevada (California) and that it could have occurred when the mountains emerged about 8 to 5 million years ago. Afterwards, the avocado migrated south where different domestications occurred and the current varieties evolved. Each variety was adapted to different ecological conditions and became domesticated by different cultural groups.

Technological and material features of the gold work of Mesoamerica

The metallurgical work in Pre-Columbian America achieved a high degree of development. In the Mesoamerican area, the development of metallurgy started very late, during the post-Classic period (800 AD). Nevertheless, various techniques, such as lost wax casting and false filigree, were rapidly developed and improved. Most of the gold metallurgy was developed in the Oaxaca region, in the South of Mexico, by the Mixtec people. A limited number of gold alloy based artefacts survived after the conquest of Mexico. Few collections are related to archaeological contexts and may be used to obtain reliable information about the technical features and materials used in the Mesoamerican gold metallurgy. For this reason, non-destructive analyses have been performed on some artefacts of the most important collections of the Mexican museums using portable XRF and PIXE in the laboratory. In this work, a full review of the main technical features and alloys of the analyzed gold artefacts from the Mesoamerican area collections are presented. This database may be used to study collections of gold artefacts from the Mesoamerican areas.

Pre‐Hispanic Mesoamerican demography approximates the present‐day ancestry of Mestizos throughout the territory of Mexico

Over the last 500 years, admixture among Amerindians, Europeans, and Africans, principally, has come to shape the present-day gene pool of Mexicans, particularly Mestizos, who represent about 93% of the total Mexican population. In this work, we analyze the genetic data of 13 combined DNA index system-short tandem repeats (CODIS-STRs) in 1,984 unrelated Mestizos representing 10 population samples from different regions of Mexico, namely North, West, Central, and Southeast. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) test demonstrated low but significant differentiation among Mestizos from different regions (F(ST) = 0.34%; P = 0.0000). Although the spatial analysis of molecular variance (SAMOVA) predicted clustering Mestizo populations into four well-delimited groups, the main differentiation was observed between Northwest when compared with Central and Southeast regions. In addition, we included analysis of individuals of Amerindian (Purepechas), European (Huelva, Spain), and African (Fang) origin. Thus, STRUCTURE analysis was performed identifying three well-differentiated ancestral populations (k = 3). STRUCTURE results and admixture estimations by means of LEADMIX software in Mestizo populations demonstrated genetic heterogeneity or asymmetric admixture throughout Mexico, displaying an increasing North-to-South gradient of Amerindian ancestry, and vice versa regarding the European component. Interestingly, this distribution of Amerindian ancestry roughly reflects pre-Hispanic Native-population density, particularly toward the Mesoamerican area. The forensic, epidemiological, and evolutionary implications of these findings are discussed herein.

Gender, Ethnicity, and Agency in Latin American History

Ranging across huge swaths of time and place in Latin America, these works share a commitment to revealing the historical agency of subalterns, whether women or colonized ethnic groups. They also highlight the cultural complexity of a region where identities and gender roles have evolved in a constant tension with ethnicity. The books, all by historians or ethnohistorians, vary in nature, intent, and theoretical underpinnings. Susan Kellogg’s excellent comprehensive synthesis of the history of indigenous women covers the pre-Hispanic, colonial, and modern periods in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking Latin America (including the Caribbean and South American lowlands) although the emphasis is on Mesoamerican (Nahua, Nudzahui, Maya) and Andean areas. I begin with her book not only because of its range, but also because it provides a template to accommodate comparisons with the other works under review here. The broad sweep she has undertaken defies synthesis in its complexity (making the reading require close attention to details and exceptions), but the author meets the challenge of producing well-founded general conclusions without homogenizing indigenous cultures. Drawing on a massive database of archaeology, history, ethnohistory, and ethnography (as well as primary resources in her own fields of precontact and colonial Mesoamerica), Kellogg paints a panorama that centers gender in a history of tradition and change

Spatial Distribution of Genetic Diversity in Wild Populations of Phaseolus vulgarisL. from Guanajuato and Michoacán, Méexico

The diversity, genetic structure, and genetic flow of wild populations of Phaseolus vulgaris L. within its Mesoamerican area of domestication, were analyzed by means of morphological and inter-simple sequence repeat molecular markers. Overall, 89% of the loci studied were polymorphic, 35% in the least diverse population and 65% in the most diverse. Genetic diversity in the populations was high, between h = 0.14 and 0.29, as was the maximum distance between populations (D = 0.3). Between 40% and 45% of the diversity was explained by the differences among populations, indicating that a large number of populations is necessary to represent the wild gene pool in the germplasm collections. We found uniformity in allele frequencies among the populations, suggesting presence of outcrossing. We did not find correlation between genetic and geographic distances, but the dendrogram topology suggests geographical isolation due to the mountainous topography. Negative correlations were observed between the coefficient of variation of seed size and the distance between wild populations and fields . We obtained a highly negative correlation between percentage of polymorphic loci and distance to the nearest crop field, which also suggests gene flow from the domesticated populations. These observations suggest that genetic flow is taking place from domesticated toward wild populations and that the farmer, through his agricultural activities, could be influencing the magnitude and the characteristics of the gene flow, and along with this, the differentiation of wild populations. New approaches should be established for conservation in situ and maintaining bio-safety, given the risk of introducing genotypes from the Andes and transgenic varieties and causing genetic assimilation.

Jurassic and Cretaceous Geological History of Cuba

The Mesozoic rocks of Cuba are a key element in reconstructing the geological history of the Mesoamerican (Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean) area. Four different Jurassic-Cretaceous sections are recorded in Cuba, including three from tectonostratigraphic terranes. From north to south they include the following: (1) a portion of the Mesozoic passive margin of North America, with outstanding zonality, especially in the Middle Cretaceous of central Cuba; (2) the Northern Ophiolitic Belt, also with Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous rocks, which is a huge melange; all members of the ophiolitic suite are tectonically mingled along the northern part of Cuba; (3) the Volcanic Arc Terrane, mainly composed of Cretaceous volcanics, with older, primarily tholeiitic lavas (Aptian-Albian) and younger (Cenomanian-Campanian) calc-alkaline pyroclastics and lavas, with many sedimentary interbeds; Albian-Cenomanian deposits with a few volcanics separate both sequences, and an Upper Jurassic-Neocomian amphibolitic basement of the volcanic arc is present in some places; and (4) the Southern Metamorphic Terranes that contain rocks of a Mesozoic passive margin that experienced several metamorphic episodes during the Cretaceous. The welding of these terranes occurred during the Cretaceous, and ended in the late Campanian and Maastrichtian. In the south, the volcanic terrane was emplaced upon the Southern Metamorphic Terranes, while in the north the volcanics and ophiolites were thrust over the Mesozoic margin of North America. In western Cuba, the beds are strongly deformed and thrust to the north or northwest. Nappes also are present in north-central Cuba, but an essentially Bahamian platform stratigraphy is present. Although the passive paleomargin of North America was deformed in the latest Cretaceous, this event is masked by the early Tertiary Cuban orogeny. It is suggested that the Jurassic stratigraphy of the Southern Metamorphic Terranes shares features with the southern North American passive margin in western Cuba. The position of the Southern Metamorphic Terranes south of the ophiolite and arc terrane therefore does not support the idea of a Pacific origin for the Cretaceous island arcs of the Greater Antilles, but instead suggests that a proto-Caribbean genesis is more plausible.

Tucson Basin Stucco-Coated Plain Ware a Technological Assessment

Excavations at the Tanque Verde Wash Site (AZ BB: 13: 68 [ASM]), a small village in the northeastern Tucson Basin occupied during the Middle Rincon subphase (A.D. 1000–1100), produced a large collection of plain ware ceramics with a mud-coated, or stucco-coated, exterior surface. Prior to the recovery of this material, the application of a stucco coating on plain ware ceramics had been noted only on a few sherds from one other site in the Tucson Basin. The Tanque Verde Wash Site sample has provided the first opportunity to examine fully this technological variant. Ethnoarchaeological and ceramic technological considerations are reviewed that suggest an explanation for the application of stucco coatings. Finally, the spatial and temporal distribution of stucco-coated plain wares in the Hohokam, Patayan, and northern Mesoamerican areas are summarized. These data lead to a reassessment of Haury's (1976) and Withers's (1941) assertions that the presence of a stucco coating on Hohokam vessels was the result of a diffusion of this technology from Patayan peoples.

Variation in Prehistoric Agricultural Systems of The New World

In this paper we present a brief summary of prehistoric agricultural develop­ ments as they are presently understood in the New World. Constraints prevent detailed evaluation of all of the cultural areas defined in the New World. Emphasis is placed, therefore, on Mesoamerica and the Central Andes, where aboriginal high cultures were found. The American Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, and Eastern Woodlands are not treated even though agriculture was an important part of cultural development in those areas. The fact that many important cultigens now shared by the world came from the Mesoamerican and Central Andean areas places a priority on understanding something about food production of the American past. Within these cultural areas we attempt to show research trends that have occurred over the past two decades. Since more intensive work has been done in Mesoamerica, it receives the greatest attention. The central question for Mesoamerica and the Central Andes has been the relationship of food produc­ tion to the rise and fall of the state ( 15, 57, 73, 108, 1 17). Over the past decade the question has been redefined in terms of a significant increase in information obtained from an extensive amount of fieldwork.