Phytoliths as a tool for investigations of agricultural origins and dispersals around the world

Agricultural origins and dispersals are subjects of fundamental importance to archaeology as well as many other scholarly disciplines. These investigations are world-wide in scope and require significant amounts of paleobotanical data attesting to the exploitation of wild progenitors of crop plants and subsequent domestication and spread. Accordingly, for the past few decades the development of methods for identifying the remains of wild and domesticated plant species has been a focus of paleo-ethnobotany. Phytolith analysis has increasingly taken its place as an important independent contributor of data in all areas of the globe, and the volume of literature on the subject is now both very substantial and disseminated in a range of international journals. In this paper, experts who have carried out the hands-on work review the utility and importance of phytolith analysis in documenting the domestication and dispersals of crop plants around the world. It will serve as an important resource both to paleo-ethnobotanists and other scholars interested in the development and spread of agriculture

Impact of pre-Columbian 'geoglyph' builders on Amazonian forests

Over 450 pre-Columbian (pre-AD1492) geometric ditched enclosures ('geoglyphs') occupy ca. 13,000 km2 of Acre state, Brazil, representing a key discovery of Amazonian archaeology. These huge earthworks were concealed for centuries under terra firme (upland interfluvial) rainforest, directly challenging the 'pristine' status of this ecosystem and its perceived vulnerability to human impacts. We reconstruct the environmental context of geoglyph construction and the nature, extent and legacy of associated human impacts. We show that bamboo forest dominated the region for ≥6000 y and that only small, temporary clearings were made to build the geoglyphs; however, construction occurred within anthropogenic forest that had been actively managed for millennia. In the absence of widespread deforestation, exploitation of forest products shaped a largely forested landscape that survived intact until the late 20th century

Paleoethnobotany of the Lake Managua region, Nicaragua

Bibliography: p. 182-203

AS CULTURAS DO MILHO? ARQUEOBOTÂNICA DAS SOCIEDADES HIDRÁULICAS DAS TERRAS BAIXAS SUL-AMERICANAS

In this article, we present a synthesis of archaeobotanical studies from pre- Columbian wetland agricultural sites in lowland South America. We summa­rize the evidence obtained through the study of macro- and microbotanical remains recovered from agricultural features, as well as archaeological habita­tion sites and lacustrine sediments associated with them. Analysis of the data show that a broad diversity of plants were cultivated on raised and drained fields, and consumed at associated habitation sites, including: a) maize, b) tubers and root crops such as manioc, sweet potato, yam, and possibly co­coyam, Cannaceae, and Marantaceae taxa, c) vegetables such as peanut and squash, d) fruits such as palms, and probably icaco, passion fruit, and guava, e) industrial cultivars such as cotton and possibly pigment sources like indigo and achiote, and suggested f) medicinal, stimulant, and hallucinogenic herbs such as mate, coca, and yopo. Results show that maize was likely the most important domesticated plant. We argue that intensive maize agriculture on raised or drained fields, along with other complimentary subsistence activi­ties, was able to sustain the large populations in the lowlands of South Amer­ica who transformed the landscape on a large scale during the late Holocene. Keywords: Zea mays, pre-Columbian agriculture, South American LowlandsEn el presente artículo se presenta una síntesis de los estudios arqueobo­tánicos realizados en sitios agrícolas de humedales pre-Colombinos de la las tierras bajas sudamericanas. Se resume la evidencia obtenida a través del estudio de macro- y micro-vestigios botánicos recuperados tanto de rasgos agrícolas como de sitios arqueológicos de habitación y sedi­mentos lacustres asociados a los mismos. El análisis de los datos mues­tra que una gran diversidad de plantas fueron cultivadas en los campos elevados y drenados y consumidos en los sitios habitacionales asociados incluyendo: a) el maíz, b) los tubérculos y las raíces como la mandioca, la batata dulce, el ñame, posiblemente el ocumo y Cannáceas y Maran­táceas, c) vegetales como el maní y el zapallo, d) frutos como palmas, y probablemente el icaco, el maracuyá y la guayaba, e) cultivos industriales como el algodón y posiblemente tinturas como el añil y el achiote, así como se han sugerido f) yerbas medicinales, estimulantes y alucinógenas como la yerba mate, la coca y el yopo. Los resultados muestran que el maíz fue probablemente la planta domestica más importante. Se argu­menta que la agricultura intensiva de maíz en campos elevados o drena­dos junto a otras actividades de subsistencia complementarias fue capaz de sostener poblaciones numerosas de las tierras bajas sudamericanas que transformaron el paisaje a gran escala durante el Holoceno Tardío. Palabras claves: Zea mays, agricultura pre-Colombina, tierras bajas de SudaméricaNo presente artigo, se apresenta uma síntese dos estudos arqueobotâni­cos realizados em sítios agrícolas de zonas úmidas pré-Colombianos das terás baixas sul-americanas. Se resume a evidência obtida através do estudo de macro- e microvestígios botânicos recuperados tanto de feições agrícolas como de sítios arqueológicos de habitação e sedi­mentos lacustres associados aos mesmos. A análise dos dados mostra que uma grande diversidade de plantas foram cultivadas nos campos elevados e drenados e consumidos nos sítios habitacionais associados incluindo: a) o milho, b) os tubérculos e as raízes como a mandioca, a batata doce, o inhame, possivelmente o taro e Canáceas y Marantáceas, c) vegetais como o amendoim e a abóbora, d) frutos como palmas, y provavelmente a jaboticaba, o maracujá e a goiaba, e) cultivos industriais como o algodão y possivelmente tinturas como o anil e o urucum, assim como se tem sugerido f) verbas medicinais, estimulantes e alucinógenas como a erva mate, a coca e o paricá. Os resultados mostram que o milho foi provavelmente a planta doméstica mais importante. Se argumenta que a agricultura intensiva de milho em campos elevados ou drenados junto a outras atividades de subsistência complementares foi capaz de sustentar populações numerosas nas terras baixas sul-americanas que transformaram a paisagem em grande escala durante o Holoceno tardio. Palavras-chave: Zea mays, agricultura pré-Colombiana, terras baixas da América do Su

Phytoliths As A Tool For Investigations Of Agricultural Origins And Dispersals Around The World

Agricultural origins and dispersals are subjects of fundamental importance to archaeology as well as many other scholarly disciplines. These investigations are world-wide in scope and require significant amounts of paleobotanical data attesting to the exploitation of wild progenitors of crop plants and subsequent domestication and spread. Accordingly, for the past few decades the development of methods for identifying the remains of wild and domesticated plant species has been a focus of paleo-ethnobotany. Phytolith analysis has increasingly taken its place as an important independent contributor of data in all areas of the globe, and the volume of literature on the subject is now both very substantial and disseminated in a range of international journals. In this paper, experts who have carried out the hands-on work review the utility and importance of phytolith analysis in documenting the domestication and dispersals of crop plants around the world. It will serve as an important resource both to paleo-ethnobotanists and other scholars interested in the development and spread of agriculture

Pre-Columbian landscape impact and agriculture in the Monumental Mound region of the Llanos de Moxos, lowland Bolivia

We present a multiproxy study of land use by a pre-Columbian earth mounds culture in the Bolivian Amazon. The Monumental Mounds Region (MMR) is an archaeological sub-region characterized by hundreds of pre-Columbian habitation mounds associated with a complex network of canals and causeways, and situated in the forest–savanna mosaic of the Llanos de Moxos. Pollen, phytolith, and charcoal analyses were performed on a sediment core from a large lake (14 km2), Laguna San José (14°56.97′S, 64°29.70′W).We found evidence of high levels of anthropogenic burning from AD 400 to AD 1280, corroborating dated occupation layers in two nearby excavated habitation mounds. The charcoal decline pre-dates the arrival of Europeans by at least 100 yr, and challenges the notion that the mounds culture declined because of European colonization. We show that the surrounding savanna soils were sufficiently fertile to support crops, and the presence of maize throughout the record shows that the area was continuously cultivated despite land-use change at the end of the earthmounds culture. We suggest that burning was largely confined to the savannas, rather than forests, and that pre-Columbian deforestation was localized to the vicinity of individual habitation mounds, whereas the inter-mound areas remained largely forested

Pre-Columbian Raised-Field Agriculture And Land Use In The Bolivian Amazon

We present an integrated palaeoecological and archaeobotanical study of pre-Columbian raised-field agriculture in the Llanos de Moxos, a vast seasonally inundated forest-savanna mosaic in the Bolivian Amazon. Phytoliths from excavated raised-field soil units, together with pollen and charcoal in sediment cores from two oxbow lakes, were analysed to provide a history of land use and agriculture at the El Cerro raised-field site. The construction of raised fields involved the removal of savanna trees, and gallery forest was cleared from the area by ad 310. Despite the low fertility of Llanos de Moxos soils, we determined that pre-Columbian raised-field agriculture sufficiently improved soil conditions for maize cultivation. Fire was used as a common management practice until ad 1300, at which point, the land-use strategy shifted towards less frequent burning of savannas and raised fields. Alongside a reduction in the use of fire, sweet potato cultivation and the exploitation of Inga fruits formed part of a mixed resource strategy from ad 1300 to 1450. The pre-Columbian impact on the landscape began to lessen around ad 1450, as shown by an increase in savanna trees and gallery forest. Although agriculture at the site began to decline prior to European arrival, the abandonment of raised fields was protracted, with evidence of sweet potato cultivation occurring as late as ad 1800. © The Author(s) 2014

Archaeology Into the New Millennium: Public or Perish

Proceedings of the 28th Annual Chacmool Archaeology Conferenc

Phytoliths as a tool for investigations of agricultural origins and dispersals around the world

Agricultural origins and dispersals are subjects of fundamental importance to archaeology as well as many other scholarly disciplines. These investigations are world-wide in scope and require significant amounts of paleobotanical data attesting to the exploitation of wild progenitors of crop plants and subsequent domestication and spread. Accordingly, for the past few decades the development of methods for identifying the remains of wild and domesticated plant species has been a focus of paleo-ethnobotany. Phytolith analysis has increasingly taken its place as an important independent contributor of data in all areas of the globe, and the volume of literature on the subject is now both very substantial and disseminated in a range of international journals. In this paper, experts who have carried out the hands-on work review the utility and importance of phytolith analysis in documenting the domestication and dispersals of crop plants around the world. It will serve as an important resource both to paleo-ethnobotanists and other scholars interested in the development and spread of agriculture.Peer Reviewe