Journal
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
Volume 123, Issue -, Pages 231-246Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.07.005
Keywords
Maize; Caribbean; Sweet potato; Early agriculture; Chili peppers; Achira
Funding
- Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) [016.084.621]
- University of the West Indies, St. Augustine (Trinidad and Tobago)
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Grindstones from Eva 2 and St. John, two of the earliest sites in northeastern South America and the southern Caribbean respectively, were subjected to starch grain analysis. Results of this study revealed that these stone artifacts were utilized to process a variety of cultivars such as maize (Zea mays), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), chili pepper (Capsicum spp.), achira (Canna spp.), legumes (Fabaceae), and yams (Dioscoreaceae), coupled with wild resources, most notably marunguey (Zamia spp.). Radiocarbon dates indicate that the use of plants identified at these two sites were much older than previously considered, going back to at least 7790 cal. BP at St. John and 5990 cal. BP at Eva 2. This new evidence showcases the importance of the Caribbean basin as an arena for early phytocultural dispersals. It also focuses attention on the role of navigation as a mechanism for crop diffusion in the Neotropics. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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