Origin and Environmental Setting of Ancient Agriculture in the Lowlands of Mesoamerica

Origin and Environmental Setting of Ancient Agriculture in the Lowlands of Mesoamerica

Archaeological research in the Gulf Coast of Tabasco reveals the earliest record of maize cultivation in Mexico. The first farmers settled along beach ridges and lagoons of the Grijalva River delta. Pollen from cultivated Zea appears with evidence of forest clearing about 5100 calendar years B.C. (y...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:Science. - The American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1880. - 292(2001), 5520, Seite 1370-1373
1. Verfasser: Pope, Kevin O. (VerfasserIn)
Weitere Verfasser: Jones, John G., Lentz, David L., von Nagy, Christopher, Vega, Francisco J., Quitmyer, Irvy R.
Format: Online-Aufsatz
Sprache:English
Veröffentlicht: 2001
Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk:Science
Schlagworte:Biological sciences Applied sciences Physical sciences
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Archaeological research in the Gulf Coast of Tabasco reveals the earliest record of maize cultivation in Mexico. The first farmers settled along beach ridges and lagoons of the Grijalva River delta. Pollen from cultivated Zea appears with evidence of forest clearing about 5100 calendar years B.C. (yr B.C.) [6200 14C years before the present (yr B.P.)]. Large Zea sp. pollen, typical of domesticated maize (Zea mays), appears about 5000 calendar yr B.C. (6000 yr B.P.). A Manihot sp. pollen grain dated to 4600 calendar yr B.C. (5800 yr B.P.) may be from domesticated manioc. About 2500 calendar yr B.C. (4000 yr B.P.), domesticated sunflower seeds and cotton pollen appear as farming expanded.
ISSN:10959203