Multiproxy Approach to Identify Pottery Contents in Postclassic Xochimilco, Mexico: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Prehispanic Foodways

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Mesoamerican food has been studied for years, and although much is known about many of the native practices and ingredients, the archaeological study of food in Mesoamerica is still developing and we are learning that we know far less of it than we thought. For this research, we applied a multiproxy approach, that involved the use of GC-MS, starch grain analysis, FT-IR, and spot test to identify the residues of food preparation and consumption in ceramics from two Postclassic excavated areas in Xochimilco, Mexico. We focused on domestic non-ritual contexts. This research showed interesting data about ingredients and preparation techniques that we were not aware of or that might not be clearly referred to in historical sources. We also investigated the markers of nixtamalized maize. As part of the investigation, we were also able to obtain new perspectives on pottery use and form-function interpretation. This is one of the first studies to apply a multiproxy approach of this type, and we were able to show the importance of using different methodologies to better understand the invisible residues of one of the most important activities of ancient people: food preparation and consumption.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39163.0