Dissertation
SUBSISTENCE OF PRE-COLUMBIAN MAYA URBAN COMMUNITIES: A MICROSCOPIC VIEW ON ALTERNATIVE STAPLES
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2019
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/116937
Abstract
Today, food security and food adequacy are problems at a global scale. On the Yucatan Peninsula, Maya farming communities do not produce enough maize to sustain themselves and the major cities in the area. However, during the pre-Columbian Classic period (250-850 AD) a considerable number of urban centers housed tens of thousands of inhabitants with overall population numbers likely surpassing present-day levels. A lasting debate has centered around the role of maize and its cultivation as the foundation of ancient Maya civilization. Theoretical models focus on intensification and extensification of agricultural practices, but crop diversity and sustainable use of alternative staples are seldom discussed. This situation is complicated by the fact that direct botanical evidence for ancient Maya farming and/or diet remains scarce. However, microbotanical proxies such as starch grains offer a means to retrieve key data about plant food use by past societies. This is particularly true for a study area with precarious taphonomic circumstances like the Yucatan Peninsula, where the preservation of organic remains is hindered by its neotropical climate and alkaline soils. In response, this study employs chemical residue analyses of lime-plaster floors in the detection of food-related activity areas to guide sampling for microbotanical analyses. Collections were recovered from residences at pre-Columbian cities like Chichen Itza, Oxkintok, and Calakmul, thereby covering three different physiographic districts and time periods. In a single scenario, micro and macrobotanical assemblages were contrasted. The results shed new light on the contribution of maize as well as several alternative staple crops to ancient Maya diet. The primary datasets demonstrate the coexistence of at least five different staples: maize, beans, sweet potato, manioc, and arrowroot. Further statistical analyses allow for the observation of context-dependent and diachronic variation. Strategies for publicizing the newly gained insights beyond the academic sphere to achieve a broader societal impact are also discussed. Suggested target audiences include the descendant communities of Maya farmers, elementary-school children, and social media consumers. Clearly, the potential of this type of archaeological research to contribute to contemporary debates on sustainability, food security, and food adecuacy is significant.
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Details
- Title
- SUBSISTENCE OF PRE-COLUMBIAN MAYA URBAN COMMUNITIES: A MICROSCOPIC VIEW ON ALTERNATIVE STAPLES
- Creators
- Mario Zimmermann
- Contributors
- Steven A Weber (Advisor)Erin Thornton (Committee Member)Shannon Tushingham (Committee Member)Jade D'Alpoim Guedes (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 386
- Identifiers
- 99900581501001842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation