New Dates and Carbon Isotope Assays of Purported Middle Woodland Maize from the Icehouse Bottom and Edwin Harness Sites

Mary L. Simon, Kandace D. Hollenbach, Brian G. Redmond

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Accelerated mass spectrometry (AMS) and carbon isotope analyses provide strong tandem methodologies used by archaeologists to evaluate and reevaluate the histories of maize use in the Midwest. In this article, we present newly obtained AMS dates and carbon isotope assays of alleged maize samples from the Icehouse Bottom (40MR23) and Edwin Harness sites (22RO33). Based on original studies, samples were thought to date to the Middle Woodland period (ca. 300 BC-AD 400). The results show that samples either were not maize or date to post-AD 900. As of this finding, there are no longer any securely dated Middle Woodland macrobotanical remains of maize from the Eastern Woodlands of North America.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)613-624
Number of pages12
JournalAmerican Antiquity
Volume86
Issue number3
Early online dateMar 15 2021
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2021

Keywords

  • AMS
  • Middle Woodland
  • Midwestern United States
  • carbon isotope
  • maize

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • History
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Archaeology
  • Museology

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