Maize for the Gods : Unearthing the 9,000-Year History of Corn

The archaeology of Maize -- The place of Maize in (agri)cultural origin stories -- Old puzzles and new questions about Maize's origins and spread -- Timing is everything: dating Maize -- Maize through a magnifying glass: macro-remains -- Maize through a microscope: micro-remains -- Elemental Maize: tracing Maize isotopically -- Genetically modified Maize; the old way: by agriculture1 -- Daily tools and sacred symbols.;"Maize is the world's most productive food and industrial crop--grown in more than 160 countries and on every continent except Antarctica. Maize for the Gods brings together new research by archaeologists, archaeobotanists, plant geneticists, and a host of other specialists as they trace the history of Maize, exploring the complex ways that this single plant and the peoples who domesticated it came to be inextricably entangled with one another over the past nine millennia. From Maize's first appearance and domestication in ancient campsites and settlements in Mexico to its intercontinental journey throughout most of North and South America, this history is also the story of the artistic creativity, technological prowess, and social, political, and economic resilience of America's first peoples."-- Maize is the world’s most productive food and industrial crop, grown in more than 160 countries and on every continent except Antarctica. If by some catastrophe maize were to disappear from our food supply chain, vast numbers of people would starve and global economies would rapidly collapse. How did we come to be so dependent on this one plant?

Maize for the Gods brings together new research by archaeologists, archaeobotanists, plant geneticists, and a host of other specialists to explore the complex ways that this single plant and the peoples who domesticated it came to be inextricably entangled with one another over the past nine millennia. Tracing maize from its first appearance and domestication in ancient campsites and settlements in Mexico to its intercontinental journey through most of North and South America, this history also tells the story of the artistic creativity, technological prowess, and social, political, and economic resilience of America’s first peoples. "Maize is the world's most productive food and industrial crop--grown in more than 160 countries and on every continent except Antarctica. Maize for the Gods brings together new research by archaeologists, archaeobotanists, plant geneticists, and a host of other specialists as they trace the history of Maize, exploring the complex ways that this single plant and the peoples who domesticated it came to be inextricably entangled with one another over the past nine millennia. From Maize's first appearance and domestication in ancient campsites and settlements in Mexico to its intercontinental journey throughout most of North and South America, this history is also the story of the artistic creativity, technological prowess, and social, political, and economic resilience of America's first peoples."-- Provided by publisher "Maize is the world's most productive food and industrial crop--grown in more than 160 countries and on every continent except Antarctica. Maize for the Gods brings together new research by archaeologists, archaeobotanists, plant geneticists, and a host of other specialists as they trace the history of Maize, exploring the complex ways that this single plant and the peoples who domesticated it came to be inextricably entangled with one another over the past nine millennia. From Maize's first appearance and domestication in ancient campsites and settlements in Mexico to its intercontinental journey throughout most of North and South America, this history is also the story of the artistic creativity, technological prowess, and social, political, and economic resilience of America's first peoples."--Fourni par l'éditeur "Maize is the world's most productive food and industrial crop--grown in more than 160 countries and on every continent except Antarctica. Maize for the Gods brings together new research by archaeologists, archaeobotanists, plant geneticists, and a host of other specialists as they trace the history of Maize, exploring the complex ways that this single plant and the peoples who domesticated it came to be inextricably entangled with one another over the past nine millennia. From Maize's first appearance and domestication in ancient campsites and settlements in Mexico to its intercontinental journey throughout most of North and South America, this history is also the story of the artistic creativity, technological prowess, and social, political, and economic resilience of America's first peoples."-- Résumé de l'éditeur Cover -- Maize for the Gods -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1. The Archaeology of Maize -- 2. The Place of Maize in (Agri)cultural Origin Stories -- 3. Old Puzzles and New Questions about Maize's Origins and Spread -- 4. Timing Is Everything: Dating Maize -- 5. Maize through a Magnifying Glass: Macroremains -- 6. Maize through a Microscope: Microremains -- 7. Elemental Maize: Tracing Maize Isotopically -- 8. Genetically Modified Maize the Old Way-By Agriculture -- 9. Daily Tools and Sacred Symbols -- Notes -- Glossary -- References -- Index