Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
- Institution
- Publication Type
- File Type
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Anthropology
Identification Of Ancient Maya Agriculture In The Periphery Of Motul De San José, Alexandra E. Smofsky
Identification Of Ancient Maya Agriculture In The Periphery Of Motul De San José, Alexandra E. Smofsky
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Agricultural systems were investigated in the Motul de San José periphery, an ancient Maya polity in Guatemala, using soil geochemical techniques. The δ13C values of soil organic matter delineated areas of ancient maize agriculture at the satellite center of Kante’t’u’ul. A new method to locate areas of former cacao cultivation or processing was developed using HPLC to detect theobromine, an alkaloid of the cacao plant, preserved in soils. Extraction of spiked soils revealed that theobromine adsorption is inversely correlated with organic matter content of soils. Detection of naturally occurring theobromine was successful, demonstrating its utility as a tracer. …
Thinking And Drinking Chocolate: The Origins, Distribution, And Significance Of Cacao In Mesoamerica, Diana Moreiras Reynaga
Thinking And Drinking Chocolate: The Origins, Distribution, And Significance Of Cacao In Mesoamerica, Diana Moreiras Reynaga
Diana K Moreiras Reynaga
This paper examines cacao’s (Theobroma cacao L.) physical and chemical composition, ecology, distribution and habitat and summarizes the recent archaeological research on cacao, mapping its distribution as shown by various lines of archaeological evidence. Existing hypotheses for cacao’s spread are discussed and illustrated using a GIS mapping of detailed topographic maps of South and Central America. By focusing on the potential paths which cacao could have been transported and grown (at elevations ranging from sea-level to 1000 m) it is possible to eliminate many previously proposed routes, and pinpoint the most likely locations for the cacao’s earliest and subsequent dispersals. …