The Origins, Dispersal and Quantification of Maize Agriculture in the New World: Problems and Prospects for Stable Isotope Analysis

Stable isotope analysis of human bone collagen is widely employed for reconstructing ancient diet, but the carbon and nitrogen isotopes in bone collagen are derived primarily from the protein portion of the diet. Since maize is low in protein, small amounts in the diet will go unnoticed. Furthermore, smaller scale chronological or geographic variations in maize consumption, and potential differences based on gender or social circumstances, are difficult to document in bone collagen. Bone apatite and tooth enamel, seemingly produced from all dietary components, are more likely to reveal small contributions of maize to Native American diets.

A critical synthesis of the isotopic data for Native American diets will be presented, based on evidence from a dozen New World countries. The integration of this data with faunal, botanical, palynological and other data relevant to prehistoric maize use will be emphasized, and a working chronological/spatial model of the origins of maize agriculture and its dispersal throughout the Americas will be presented. Finally, some suggestions will be made for future research efforts which address the origins and dispersal of maize agriculture in specific regions.