This book examines one of the thorniest problems of ancient American archaeology: the origins and domestication of maize. Using a variety of scientific techniques, Duccio Bonavia explores the development of maize, its adaptation to varying climates and its fundamental role in ancient American cultures. An appendix (by Alexander Grobman) provides the first-ever comprehensive compilation of maize genetic data, correlating this data with the archaeological evidence presented throughout the book. This book provides a unique interpretation of questions of dating and evolution, supported by extensive data, following the spread of maize from South to North America and eventually to Europe and beyond.
• Provides discussion of all the hypotheses related to the origin of maize, including all the hypotheses formulated to date about domestication and the spread of maize in the Americas • Examines archaeological evidence from all the sites where early maize has been found, from Canada to Argentina • An appendix provides the first ever comprehensive compilation of maize genetic data
Contents
1. The maize problematic; 2. Maize as seen by Europeans; 3. The origin of maize; 4. The domestication of maize; 5. The archaeological evidence; 6. The role of maize in Andean culture; 7. Maize as seen by the first Europeans; 8. The dispersal of maize around the world; 9. Chica; 10. Discussion and conclusions; Appendix Alexander Grobman.
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