Agriculture in Mesoamerica
Agriculture in Mesoamerica dates to the
As the Archaic period progressed,
The most important plant in ancient Mesoamerica, was, unarguably, maize. Squash and beans were also important staples of the ancient Mesoamerican agricultural diet and along with maize, are often referred to as the "Three Sisters".
Early and culturally significant domestic plants
Another important crop in Mesoamerican agriculture is
Another major food source in Mesoamerica are beans. Maize, beans, and squash form a triad of products, commonly referred to as the "Three Sisters". Growing these three crops together helps to retain nutrients in the soil.
Another culturally important plant was
The crops above are only a few of the domesticated plants important to the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica. Please see the section below for a more comprehensive list of ancient Mesoamerican domesticated plants.
Domestic plants
Main source: Pre-Columbian Foodways A list of Mesoamerican
- Agave* – also known as the "century plant"
- Anona – also called a "custard apple"
- Avocado* – large, green, egg-shaped berry with a single seed
- Cacao* – the main ingredient in chocolate
- Cassava* – edible starchy root also known as manioc; also used to make tapioca
- Chaya – large fast-growing leafy shrub with uses similar to spinach
- Cherimoya* (fruit)
- Chicle* (Manilkara chicle) – sap made into chewing gum
- Chili peppers* – many varieties
- Copal – incense used by the Maya for religious practices [2]
- Cotton* – a shrub that is used mainly to create textiles
- Epazote (Dysphania ambrosioides) – aromatic herb
- Guayaba* – guava fruit
- Huautli* (Amaranthus cruentus, Amaranthus hypochondriacus) – grain
- Jícama* (Pachyrhizus erosus)
- teosintegrasses in southern Mexico)
- Mamey sapote* (Pouteria sapota) – fruit, other parts of plants have noted uses
- Mora (Rubus blackberry)
- Nopales* – stem segments of Opuntia species, such as Opuntia ficus-indica
- Papaya* (Carica papaya)
- Pineapple – cultivated extensively
- Pinto bean – "painted/speckled" bean; nitrogen-fixer traditionally planted in conjunction with the "two sisters", maize and squash, to help condition soil; runners grew on maize
- Squash* (Cucurbitaspp.) – pumpkins, zucchini, acorn squash, others
- Strawberry (Fragaria spp.) – various cultivars
- Sunflower seeds – under cultivation in Mexico and Peru for thousands of years, also source of essential oils
- Tobacco* – a dried leaf used as a trade commodity and peace-making
- Tomato* – red berry-type fruit of the family Solanaceae
- Tunas* – fruits of Opuntia species, also called a "prickly pear"
- Vanilla – orchids grown for their culinary flavor
* An asterisk indicates a common English or Spanish word derived from an indigenous word.
Farming techniques
One of the greatest challenges in Mesoamerica for farmers is the lack of usable land, and the poor condition of the soil. The two main ways to combat poor soil quality, or lack of nutrients in the soil, are to leave fields fallow for a period of time in a milpa cycle, and to use slash-and-burn techniques.[2] Much of the Maya food supply was grown in gardens, known as pet kot.[3] The system takes its name from the low wall of stones (pet meaning circular and kot wall of loose stones) that characteristically surrounds the forest garden plot.[4] The earliest dated maize cobs was discovered in Guilá Naquitz cave in Oaxaca and dates back to 4300 BC. Maize arose through domestication of teosinte, which is considered to be the ancestor of maize. Maize can be stored for lengthy periods of time, it can be ground into flour, and it easily provides surplus for future use. Maize was vital to the survival of the Mesoamerican people. Its cultural significance is reflected in Mesoamerican origin myths, artwork, and rituals.
The Mesoamerican natives also used irrigation techniques not unlike other early agricultural societies in early Mesopotamia. However, unlike the arid plains of the Fertile Crescent, the Mesoamerican area has a rougher terrain, therefore making irrigation less effective than terraced farming and slash-and-burn techniques.[2]
Slash-and-burn techniques are a type of extensive farming, where the amount of labor is minimal in taking care of farmland. Extensive farming uses less labor but had a larger mark on the area around them. In opposition, intensive agriculture refers to agriculture that involves large amounts of labor, permitting bigger yields from the same land area, thus making it better suited for a sedentary lifestyle.
See also
- Agriculture in Mexico
- Aztec cuisine
- Chinampa
- Guilá Naquitz Cave
- Maya cuisine
- Mesoamerican chronology
- Slash-and-burn
- Three Sisters (agriculture)
Notes
- ^ ISBN 978-0-500-29076-7.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-500-28902-0.
- ISBN 978-0-631-21116-7.
- ISBN 978-0-231-11157-7.
References
- Atran, Scott; Lois, Ximena; Ucan Ek', Edilberto (2004). Plants of the Peten Itza Maya. Memoirs of the Museum of Anthropology, 38. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Museum.
- Schlesinger, Victoria (2001). Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya: A Guide. Juan C. Chab-Medina (illus.), foreword by Carlos Galindo-Leal. Austin: University of Texas Press.
- Piperno, Dolores R. (October 2011). "The Origins of Plant Cultivation and Domestication in the New World Tropics: Patterns, Process, and New Developments". Current Anthropology. 52 (S4): S453–S470. S2CID 83061925.
- McLeay, P. (January 1980). "Review". Geography. 65: 75. JSTOR 40570293.
- ISBN 978-1-4419-0470-6.
- Coe, Michael D. (2011). The Maya (Eighth ed.). Thames &Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-28902-0.
- Coe, Sophie D. (March 1994). America's First Cuisines (First ed.). Austin: University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-71155-6.
- Harrington, S. P. M. 1997. Earliest Agriculture in the New World.
- Coe, Michael D.; Koontz, Rex (2013). From the Olmecs to the Aztecs (Seventh ed.). Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-29076-7.
- S2CID 23247509.