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Ancient Maya Tree Cropping

A viable subsistence adaptation for the island Maya

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2008

Heather McKillop
Heather McKillop
Affiliation:
Department of Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4105, USA
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Abstract

The predominance of tree crops among abundant, well-preserved plant food remains from coastal sites in southern Belize suggests that these island Maya had a specialized subsistence focus. Limited arable land on offshore islands, together with a maritime economy, may have been important factors in the use of tree crops. The Wild Cane Cay Maya utilized a variety of native palm fruits – Orbignya cohune, Acrocomia mexicana, and Bactris major, as well as other wild tree fruits, in addition to corn. These coastal data support the view that specialized adaptation to diverse environments was a feature of ancient Maya subsistence.

Type
Special Section: Classic Maya Landscape Archaelogy
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 5 , Issue 1 , Spring 1994 , pp. 129 - 140
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

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