An Investigation of Middle Archaic Maize at Site LA 112766

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This paper provides evidence of the presence of maize in southeastern New Mexico radiocarbon dated to 1,000 years prior to any in a dataset of 30 known southeastern New Mexico “Old Maize” sites. The oldest maize site is Keystone Dam radiocarbon dated to 3540 cal BP. Site LA 112766 radiocarbon dates to 4825–4575 BP. An investigation of the macrobotanical, phytolith, starch, radiocarbon dating, ceramic, and metate analyses was conducted on site LA 112766 to determine when and to what extent maize was used. The identification of Middle Archaic maize at site LA 112766 is significant and pushes the earliest appearance of maize back 1,000 years and indicates that the introduction and migration of maize into New Mexico may have occurred differently than is currently accepted. The Guila Naquitz site in, Oaxaca, Mexico, radiocarbon dates to 5420 BP. This site may have been a source of maize migration into southeastern New Mexico. Archaic groups may have informally grown maize along the Pecos River. The maturity period for prehistoric maize is much shorter than for modern maize. The growing season may have become part of the seasonal round.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 35529.0