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Maize Storage among the Puuc Maya: The Development of an Archaeological Method

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2008

Michael P. Smyth
Michael P. Smyth
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
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Abstract

Mesoamerican archaeologists have long realized that agricultural food storage helped support large prehispanic centers, especially in places where food production was seasonally constrained by culture and environment. Yet, past storage has rarely been identified or interpreted accurately at Mesoamerican sites – a dilemma that challenges archaeologists to improve research methods. To meet this challenge, recent ethnoarchaeological research into household maize storage behavior among traditional Puuc Maya farmers has revealed that storage is closely interrelated with daily food processing activities. This information has fostered the development of a storage model (based on houselot spatial organization, activity scheduling, and refuse disposal), providing a framework to interpret the material remains of storage-related behavior affected by diverse maize storage techniques. Excavations within modern Puuc houselots have begun to document feature, refuse, chemical, and botanical patterns that indicate storage places. Together, these storage patterns and their spatial associations in Puuc houselots contribute significant information towards building an archaeological storage method.

Type
Articles
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 1 , Issue 1 , Spring 1990 , pp. 51 - 69
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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References

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