Maize Cultivation System of the Americas

Timeline

1. c. -7000–-3500Tehuacán Valley · PueblaWild teosinte, through long-term artificial selection and cultivation, gradually evolved into the prototype of maize with edible kernels, accompanied by slash-and-burn agriculture and early irrigation experiments.
2. 200–900Valley of Mexico and Maya lowlands · MexicoMaize formed the 'Three Sisters' polyculture with beans and squash; terraces, chinampa floating gardens, and varietal differentiation supported population growth in city-states such as Teotihuacan and the Maya.
3. 1421–1430Core agricultural zone of the Aztec Empire · Valley of MexicoMaize remained the pillar crop of valley tribute and market trade; intensive chinampa cultivation and local variety preservation systems supported settlements of up to a million people around Tenochtitlan.
4. 1492Temperate and tropical agricultural zones worldwide · GlobalAfter Columbus's contact, maize quickly reached the Old World, becoming a fodder and staple crop across Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in turn feeding back into American variety improvement and hybrid breeding systems.