[Aztlan] Dating slash-and-burn agriculture

[David Hixson]

Dear Jules,

It is very difficult to precisely answer your
question, as it is often assumed that when corn
agriculture began it necessitated some slash-and-burn
practices (especially in the Maya area).

Some of the earliest evidence for corn agriculture in
lowland Mesoamerica has come from the Gulf Coast
(outside the Maya area) in the riverine floodplains of
what would grow to be the Olmec heartland.  However,
one could argue that this may not have been true
"slash-and-burn".  Meanwhile, up in the Tuxtla
Mountains, archaeologists have found volcanic ash that
sealed and partially preserved a true milpa dating to
the Early Formative period (the data was presented in
one of my favorite presentation title's ever, by Flip
Arnold -- "Olmec Donald Had A Farm").

In other words, while MacNeish's dry caves and the
recent discoveries in the Gulf Coast can prove an
early domestication of corn.  The techniques used to
clear and plant an area are much more illusive. 
Slash-and-burn agriculture is often assumed to have
gone hand-in-hand with the beginnings of settled
village life (one necessitates the other).  Settled
villages are much easier to identify in the
archaeological record than the remains of plants (let
alone the fields in which they were planted).

If someone has some better data at hand, I'd be eager
to hear it as well.  Thanks to Jules for asking this
interesting (yet difficult) question.

-Dave


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Never miss a thing.  Make Yahoo your home page. 
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs