Archaeobotanical evidence of prehistoric maize (Zea mays) consumption at the northern edge of the Great Plains

Boyd, Matt; Surette, C.; Nicholson, B. A.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2005.12.003

Cited by 37 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 40 publications

(59 reference statements)

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“…But since starch grains from different plants have different gelatinization temperatures that may not have been reached, or due to the possibility that the pot was broken while the food was cooking, starch grains can survive and preserve. Previous studies have demonstrated that identifiable starch grains can be extracted from charred cooking residues [9,[16][17][18][19]. Here we report starch grains recovered from charred residues adhering to the ceramic sherds excavated from the Kuahuqiao site.…”

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confidence: 78%

Starch grain analysis reveals ancient diet at Kuahuqiao site, Zhejiang Province

Yang

Jiang

2010

Chin. Sci. Bull.

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Charred residues adhering to sherds of ceramic cooking vessels, pots (Fu), excavated from the Kuahuqiao site (8000-7000 cal a BP) in Zhejiang Province were examined using the method of starch grain analysis. Ancient starch grains were recovered from charred residues and were classified into 8 genera. Remains from rice (Oryza spp.), job's-tears (Coix chinesis T.), bean (Vigna spp.), acorn (Quercus spp.) as well as possibly buckeye tree (Aesculus chinensis B.) were identified. Other starch grains from unidentified plants were also recovered. Tracheids with bordered pits from softwood fibers were also found, indicating that some food might have been processed with wooden tools. The range of starch grains in the charred residues adhering to the ceramic pots reveals the diversity of ancient plant foods at the Kuahuqiao site, Zhejiang Province. starch grain analysis, charred residues, ancient diet, Kuahuqiao site, Zhejiang Province Citation:Yang X Y, Jiang L P. Starch grain analysis reveals ancient diet at Kuahuqiao site, Zhejiang Province.

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confidence: 78%

Starch grain analysis reveals ancient diet at Kuahuqiao site, Zhejiang Province

Yang

Jiang

2010

Chin. Sci. Bull.

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“…These plant microfossils have been used extensively to examine residues from stone tools (129)(130)(131)(132)(133), shell tools (134), sediments (135)(136)(137), grinding stones (138), and dental calculus (139,140). The presence of starch grains and phytoliths has also been used to identify maize and beans in pottery residues from North America (141,142) and of a range of plant foods in residues from ceramic and stone artefacts from Bolivia (143). However the full potential of this type of analysis when applied to visible residues from pottery is only just beginning to be explored and presents a unique opportunity to identify the past culinary use of specific plants.…”

Section: Plant Microfossilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organic Residues in Archaeology: The Highs and Lows of Recent Research

Steele

2013

ACS Symposium Series

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The analysis of organic residues from archaeological materials has become increasingly important to our understanding of ancient diet, trade and technology. Residues from diverse contexts have been retrieved and analysed from the remains of food, medicine and cosmetics to hafting material on stone arrowheads, pitch and tar from shipwrecks, and ancient manure from soils. Research has brought many advances in our understanding of archaeological, organic residues over the past two decades. Some have enabled very specific and detailed interpretations of materials preserved in the archaeological record. However there are still areas where we know very little, like the mechanisms at work during the formation and preservation of residues, and areas where each advance produces more questions rather than answers, as in the identification of degraded fats. This chapter will discuss some of the significant achievements in the field over the past decade and the ongoing challenges for research in this area.1341280_File000001_20903114.docPrinted 7/19/2013 2

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“…21 for a recent review). Limited research, however, has been conducted to recover and identify starch from charred food residues on ceramic vessels (22)(23)(24)(25) because of the tendency for starch to gelatinize and paste, whereby the molecular structure within the granule is disrupted and ultimately destroyed when exposed to heating in excess water (26). Our results demonstrate that identifiable starch granules can be extracted from charred cooking residues by employing a new technique that gently oxidizes the charred matrix and isolates starch granules by heavy-density liquid separation.…”

Section: Starch Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Directly dated starch residues document early formative maize ( Zea mays L.) in tropical Ecuador

Zarrillo

Pearsall

Raymond

et al. 2008

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

130

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The study of maize (Zea mays L.) domestication has advanced from questions of its origins to the study-and debate-of its dietary role and the timing of its dispersal from Mexico. Because the investigation of maize's spread is hampered by poor preservation of macrobotanical remains in the Neotropics, research has focused on microbotanical remains whose contexts are often dated by association, leading some to question the dates assigned. Furthermore, some scholars have argued that maize was not introduced to southwestern Ecuador until Ϸ4150 -3850 calendar years before the present (cal B.P.), that it was used first and foremost as a fermented beverage in ceremonial contexts, and that it was not important in everyday subsistence, challenging previous studies based on maize starch and phytoliths. To further investigate these questions, we analyzed every-day cooking vessels, food-processing implements, and sediments for starch and phytoliths from an archaeological site in southwestern Ecuador constituting a small Early Formative village. Employing a new technique to recover starch granules from charred cooking-pot residues we show that maize was present, cultivated, and consumed here in domestic contexts by at least 5300 -4950 cal B.P. Directly dating the residues by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon measurement, our results represent the earliest direct dates for maize in Early Formative Ecuadorian sites and provide further support that, once domesticated Ϸ9000 calendar years ago, maize spread rapidly from southwestern Mexico to northwestern South America.ceramic residues ͉ microfossil analysis ͉ AMS radiocarbon measurement ͉ crop dispersals ͉ agricultural origins

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Archaeobotanical evidence of prehistoric maize (Zea mays) consumption at the northern edge of the Great Plains

Cited by 37 publications

References 40 publications

Starch grain analysis reveals ancient diet at Kuahuqiao site, Zhejiang Province

Starch grain analysis reveals ancient diet at Kuahuqiao site, Zhejiang Province

Organic Residues in Archaeology: The Highs and Lows of Recent Research

Directly dated starch residues document early formative maize ( Zea mays L.) in tropical Ecuador

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