Middle Ohio Valley Maize Histories: New Dates from the Crossroads of the Midcontinent

The transition to maize agriculture frames important cultural shifts in the Eastern Woodlands. However, the tempo and mode of this transition are unclear, particularly when analytical techniques are not standard across the region. In this article, we present evidence of directly dated maize macrobot...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAmerican antiquity Vol. 89; no. 2; pp. 319 - 326
Main Authors Comstock, Aaron R, Cook, Robert A
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington Cambridge University Press 01.04.2024
Subjects
Culture
Domestication
Occupations
Regions
Mexico
Ohio
United States > US
Ohio Valley
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Summary:The transition to maize agriculture frames important cultural shifts in the Eastern Woodlands. However, the tempo and mode of this transition are unclear, particularly when analytical techniques are not standard across the region. In this article, we present evidence of directly dated maize macrobotanical fragments from the Turpin site in southwest Ohio that date between cal AD 552–649 and 684–994. These dates add to current dialogues on the spread of maize in the American Midcontinent and help further situate the Middle Ohio Valley as a cultural crossroads through which people and ideas flowed. We echo suggestions that, to refine our understanding of the introduction of maize into the region, we must develop pan-regional analytical standards and create multiple working hypotheses at a variety of scales.
ISSN:0002-7316
2325-5064
DOI:10.1017/aaq.2023.103