Northernmost Precontact Maize in North America

Abstract

Corn (Zea mays ssp. mays) was a key economic plant in the Americas, yet little information exists on the northern limit of maize consumption before European contact. Based on the analysis of carbonized food residue on pottery for plant microfossils (phytoliths and starch granules) from 58 precontact archaeological sites, we report the first evidence of maize consumption in the subarctic boreal forest. Recovery of maize microfossils from several widely distributed Laurel phase (Middle Woodland/Initial Shield Woodland) vessels indicates that the diffusion of corn into this region was surprisingly early (ca. A.D. 500) and may have initially spread through long-distance exchange networks linking temperate and boreal North America during the Woodland period. After A.D. 1000 maize was a widespread component of diet and was consumed by every major Late Woodland culture in the region. These results have profound implications both for the history of this cultigen and for small-scale human societies in northern North America.

Earliest Microbotanical Evidence for Maize in the Northern Lake Michigan Basin

“…Although the identification rate of this study is comparable to that of one other study (St-Pierre and Thompson 2015), it is somewhat below the 55%–60% Z. mays presence rates of other analyses (Boyd and Surette 2010; Hart, Brumbach, and Lusteck 2007; Raviele 2010). The low within-sample incidence of maize at the Winter site would indicate that maize did not figure significantly in the diet at this point in time.…”

Experimental assessment of maize phytolith and starch taphonomy in carbonized cooking residues

“…Test tubes containing samples were then placed in a hot water bath (heated to 90 C) and allowed to sit for 24 h to ensure dissolution of carbon in the sample. A similar but alternative technique used by Boyd and colleagues (Boyd et al, 2008, Boyd andSurette, 2010) is to process residue samples with 50% nitric acid, also placed in a hot water bath for 12e24 h.…”

“…While microbotanical research has primarily focused on Meso-and South America, starch and phytolith studies are intensifying in North America, especially in eastern North America and the Subarctic to address questions regarding initial maize use (c.f. Boyd and Surette, 2010;Hart et al, 2003Hart et al, , 2007aMessner, 2008;Raviele, 2010). Most of these studies rely on maize identification through the presence or absence of phytolith and/or starch bodies.…”

“…mays) (e.g. Boyd et al, 2008;Boyd and Surette, 2010;Hart et al, 2003Hart et al, , 2007aPearsall et al, 2004;Piperno et al, 2000) has been especially common. While microbotanical research has primarily focused on Meso-and South America, starch and phytolith studies are intensifying in North America, especially in eastern North America and the Subarctic to address questions regarding initial maize use (c.f.…”

Pottery wall thinning as a consequence of increased maize processing: a case study from central New York

“…New data are constantly being generated that revise our understandings of this crop and its subregional histories (e.g., Boyd and Surrette, 2010;Chilton, 2006;Largy and Morenon, 2008;Raviele, 2010;Rose, 2008). What is becoming increasingly clear is that multiple lines of evidence are needed in order to construct empirically robust subregional histories.…”