Evidence for maize (Zea mays) in the Late Archaic (3000–1800 B.C.) in the Norte Chico region of Peru

For more than 40 y, there has been an active discussion over the presence and economic importance of maize (Zea mays) during the Late Archaic period (3000–1800 B.C.) in ancient Peru. The evidence for Late Archaic maize has been limited, leading to the interpretation that it was present but used prim...

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Published in:	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 110; no. 13; pp. 4945 - 4949
Main Authors:	Haas, Jonathan, Creamer, Winifred, Mesía, Luis Huamán, Goldstein, David, Reinhard, Karl, Rodríguez, Cindy Vergel
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United States National Academy of Sciences 26-03-2013 National Acad Sciences
Subjects:	Agricultural production Anthropology, Cultural Archaeology Corn Diet Excavations Fossils Grains History History, Ancient Humans Peru Phytoliths Pollen Radiocarbon dating Social Sciences Soil samples Starches Stone tools Zea mays - growth & development Zea mays - history Peru
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Summary:	For more than 40 y, there has been an active discussion over the presence and economic importance of maize (Zea mays) during the Late Archaic period (3000–1800 B.C.) in ancient Peru. The evidence for Late Archaic maize has been limited, leading to the interpretation that it was present but used primarily for ceremonial purposes. Archaeological testing at a number of sites in the Norte Chico region of the north central coast provides a broad range of empirical data on the production, processing, and consumption of maize. New data drawn from coprolites, pollen records, and stone tool residues, combined with 126 radiocarbon dates, demonstrate that maize was widely grown, intensively processed, and constituted a primary component of the diet throughout the period from 3000 to 1800 B.C.
Bibliography:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1219425110 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 Author contributions: J.H. and W.C. designed research; L.H.M., D.G., K.R., and C.V.R. performed research; L.H.M., D.G., K.R., and C.V.R. analyzed data; and J.H. wrote the paper. Edited by Deborah M. Pearsall, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, and accepted by the Editorial Board January 24, 2013 (received for review November 7, 2012)
ISSN:	0027-8424 1091-6490
DOI:	10.1073/pnas.1219425110