MAIZE ON THE FRONTIER: ISOTOPIC AND MACROBOTANICAL DATA FROM CENTRAL–WESTERN ARGENTINA

GIL, A. R. TYKOT, G. NEME, Y N. SHELNUT

HISTORIES OF MAIZE. MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO THE PREHISTORY, LINGUISTICS, BIOGEOGRAPHY, DOMESTICATION, AND EVOLUTION OF MAIZE

ACADEMIC PRESS-ELSEVIER

Lugar: U.S.A; Año: 2006; p. 199 - 214

Central–Western region of Argentina is thought to be the southern boundary of Pre-Hispanic maize agriculture and appeared to be an ideal location to explore the ways in which this cultigen was introduced. To understand this complex process, we introduce macrobotanical, archaeofaunal, and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data from the southern region of province of Mendoza. We initially present the archaeobotanical and archaeofaunal record of late Holocene human occupation. The archaeological record for maize, its chronology and abundance is then presented and analyzed in comparison to other resources. The isotopic information includes late Holocene human bone collagen and apatite and tooth enamel samples, as well as animal and plant food resources from several environmental zones. We analyze these data and discuss the role of maize and temporal and spatial aspects of regional variability. Our results indicate that in general maize was never an economic staple and that there was an important variability in C4 resources use (possibly maize) in the past 4000 years. In contrast, the isotopic data and the kinds of resources exploited show a significant variability between lowland and highland piedmont. In light of these data, we discuss various models for the spread of maize in Argentina.