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Extending the Phytolith Evidence for Early Maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) and Squash (Cucurbita sp.) in Central New York

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

John P. Hart ,
Hetty Jo Brumbach  and
Robert Lusteck
John P. Hart
Affiliation:
Research and Collections Division, New York State Museum, 3140 Cultural Education Center, Albany, NY 12230 (jph_nysm@mail.nysed.gov)
Hetty Jo Brumbach
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University at Albany, SUNY, Arts & Sciences Building, Room 237, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12222 (brumbach@albany.edu)
Robert Lusteck
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, 395 Hubert H. Humphrey Center, 301 19th Ave. S. , Minneapolis, MN 55455 (roblusteck@hotmail.com)
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Abstract

The timing of the adoptions of maize and squash across eastern North America has been a topic of long-standing interest among archaeologists and paleoethnobotanists. The use of flotation for macrobotanical remains beginning in the 1960s and 1970s coupled with the application of accelerator mass spectrometry dating beginning in the 1980s has led to substantial revisions of knowledge about the history of these crops in the region. A complementary source of evidence for the crops' histories in the eastern North America comes from opal phytoliths. Analysis of phytolith assemblages recovered from charred food residues has shown that maize and squash were being used in central New York well before the macrobotanical record indicates. In combination with previously analyzed samples, 16 additional residue assemblages help to clarify the history of maize and squash in central New York. The results indicate that maize and squash were being used in New York by 2270 B.P. and 2945 B.P., respectively.

Résumé

Résumé

El fechamiento de las adopciones del maíz y la calabaza a través del este de Norte America ha sido un tópico de interés por mucho tiempo para arqueólogosy paleobotánicos. La utilización del método de flotación para restos macrobotdáicos comenzó en los 1960s y 1970s, emparejó con la aplicación del fechamiento por Acelerador de Espectrómetro de Masa, el cual comenzó en los 1980s, esto ha llevado a revisiones substanciales en el conocimiento acerca de la historia de estos cultivos en la región. Una fuente complementaria de evidencia para las historias de los cultivos en el este de Norteamérica proviene de fitolitos de ópalo. Análisis de colecciones de fitolitos en residuos de alimentos han demostrado que el maíz y la calabaza fueron utilizados en el centro de Nueva York mucho antes de lo que el record macrobotánico indica. En combinación con muestras previamente analizadas, 16 colecciones de residuos adicionales ayudan a clarificar la historia del maíz y la calabaza en el centro de Nueva York. Los resultados indican que el maíz y la calabaza fueron utilizados en Nueva York en 2270 B.P. y 2945 B.P., respectivamente.

Type
Reports
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 72 , Issue 3 , July 2007 , pp. 563 - 583
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 2007

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