Early isotopic evidence for maize as a staple grain in the Americas

Science Advances
Douglas J KennettSaid M Gutierrez

Abstract

Maize is a cultigen of global economic importance, but when it first became a staple grain in the Americas, was unknown and contested. Here, we report direct isotopic dietary evidence from 52 radiocarbon-dated human skeletons from two remarkably well-preserved rock-shelter contexts in the Maya Mountains of Belize spanning the past 10,000 years. Individuals dating before ~4700 calendar years before present (cal B.P.) show no clear evidence for the consumption of maize. Evidence for substantial maize consumption (~30% of total diet) appears in some individuals between 4700 and 4000 cal B.P. Isotopic evidence after 4000 cal B.P. indicates that maize became a persistently used staple grain comparable in dietary significance to later maize agriculturalists in the region (>70% of total diet). These data provide the earliest definitive evidence for maize as a staple grain in the Americas.

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Citations

Dec 9, 2020·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Tiffiny A TungLarisa R G DeSantis
Dec 16, 2020·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Logan KistlerDouglas J Kennett
Mar 31, 2021·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Weston C McCoolDouglas J Kennett
Aug 13, 2021·Science and Technology of Archaeological Research·Sahra TalamoKlervia Jaouen

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