Domestication of the Cochineal

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Identifying the specifics of location and time of the cultivation and domestication of the cochineal beetle (Dactylopius coccus) in the New World has eluded archaeologists and ecologists for decades. The cochineal’s production of red dye from its rich storage of carminic acid has made this insect a notable element in the lives of pre-contact Mesoamerican and South American peoples for dying textiles, cosmetics, and food. The main debate centers around whether the beetle was first domesticated in Mexico and traded into South America, or if the reverse is more accurate. In this study, we will attempt to use mitochondrial and genomic markers among domestic and wild samples of this species from Peru, Oaxaca/Mexico, and New Mexico. The results of our inquiries using these carefully curated samples will yield additional information regarding the effects of domestication on native species in a deep-time context, in addition to revealing data about the current genomic diversity among cochineal stock.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24512