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Science 18 May 2001:
Vol. 292. no. 5520, pp. 1370 - 1373
DOI: 10.1126/science.292.5520.1370
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Reports

Origin and Environmental Setting of Ancient Agriculture in the Lowlands of Mesoamerica

Kevin O. Pope,1* Mary E. D. Pohl,2 John G. Jones,3 David L. Lentz,4 Christopher von Nagy,5 Francisco J. Vega,6 Irvy R. Quitmyer7

Archaeological research in the Gulf Coast of Tabasco reveals the earliest record of maize cultivation in Mexico. The first farmers settled along beach ridges and lagoons of the Grijalva River delta. Pollen from cultivated Zea appears with evidence of forest clearing about 5100 calendar years B.C. (yr B.C.) [6200 14C years before the present (yr B.P.)]. Large Zea sp. pollen, typical of domesticated maize (Zea mays), appears about 5000 calendar yr B.C. (6000 yr B.P.). A Manihot sp. pollen grain dated to 4600 calendar yr B.C. (5800 yr B.P.) may be from domesticated manioc. About 2500 calendar yr B.C. (4000 yr B.P.), domesticated sunflower seeds and cotton pollen appear as farming expanded.

1 Geo Eco Arc Research, 16305 St. Mary's Church Road, Aquasco, MD 20608, USA.
2 Department of Anthropology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
3 Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
4 New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458, USA.
5 Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA.
6 Instituto de Geología, Ciudad Universitária, Mexico, D. F. 04510, Mexico.
7 Florida Museum of Natural History, Department of Natural History, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: kpope{at}starband.net

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