TY - GEN
T1 - The Role of Maize in Cahokia’s Big Bang
AU - Simon, Mary L.
AU - Hedman, Kristin M.
AU - Emerson, Thomas E.
N1 - 59th Annual Midwest Archaeological Conference - November 5-7, 2015 | Midwest Archaeological Conference, November 5-7, Milwaukee, WI
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Interpreting the role of maize agriculture in the socio-economic-religious systems of Cahokia has long been a topic of research interest. Early “prime-mover” models emphasized maize’s economic importance. Through time, these models shifted to emphasize the crop’s centuries long role in subsistence and ritual, positing a gradualist introduction, adoption, and dependence. However, the increasing number of excavated sites, associated macrobotanical data sets, and isotopic analyses by ISAS researchers have called into question the gradualist model. These lines of evidence converge to suggest that maize was a post-AD 900 introduction that facilitated, but did not cause, Cahokia’s Big Bang.
AB - Interpreting the role of maize agriculture in the socio-economic-religious systems of Cahokia has long been a topic of research interest. Early “prime-mover” models emphasized maize’s economic importance. Through time, these models shifted to emphasize the crop’s centuries long role in subsistence and ritual, positing a gradualist introduction, adoption, and dependence. However, the increasing number of excavated sites, associated macrobotanical data sets, and isotopic analyses by ISAS researchers have called into question the gradualist model. These lines of evidence converge to suggest that maize was a post-AD 900 introduction that facilitated, but did not cause, Cahokia’s Big Bang.
KW - ISAS
UR - https://www.midwestarchaeology.org/annual-meeting/previous
M3 - Conference contribution
SP - 77
BT - 59th Annual Midwest Archaeological Conference
ER -