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Maize Cultivation (Mesoamerican Staple)

Type Object Region North America Time c. -7000

Maize (Zea mays), domesticated in southern Mexico and Mesoamerica about 9,000 years ago, became the staple base of Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilizatio…

Timeline

  1. c. -7000–-1500South-central Mexico · MexicoEarly maize cobs excavated from archaeological sites show the process of gradual selection from the wild teosinte ancestor, laying the foundation for the Mesoamerican agricultural revolution.
  2. c. 250–900Maya Lowlands · GuatemalaMaya farmers developed the milpa slash-and-burn rotation system, intercropping maize with beans and squash, supporting Classic period city-state populations and complex social division of labor.
  3. c. 1000–1200Yucatán Peninsula · Yucatán PeninsulaAround the 11th century CE, Yucatán cities such as Chichén Itzá depended on agricultural surpluses centered on maize, sustaining the construction of large ceremonial centers and the operation of regional trade networks.

Sources