Chenopodium as a Prehistoric Domesticate in Eastern North America: Evidence from Russell Cave, Alabama
Smith BD. 1984. Chenopodium as a Prehistoric Domesticate in Eastern North America: Evidence from Russell Cave, Alabama. Science. 226(4671):165-167
Approximately 50,000 carbonized fruits of the species Chenopodium berlandieri recovered from Russell Cave, Alabama, and dating to 1975 $\pm $ 55 before the present, exhibit a set of interrelated morphological characteristics reflecting domestication (thin testa, truncate margin, rectanguloid fruit cross section, ligulate cotyledons, and increased internal fruit volume). These morphological characteristics establish the presence of a domestic variety of Chenopodium in the eastern United States by 2000 years ago....Thin testa chenopod fruits have been recognized in archeobotanical collections from Salts Cave, Mammoth Cave National Park. Analysis of a collection of 50,000 carbonized Chenopodium berlandieri (goosefoot) fruits from Russell Cave, Alabama, exhibit several of the distinctive characteristics associated with the adaptive syndrome of domestication. Both general and detailed cross-section descriptions of the fruits with comparisons to domesticated and wild varieties are given.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Smith, Bruce
- Units
- MACA
- Keywords
- Archeology, Caves, Isotopic Dating, pitseed goosefoot (Chenopodium berlandieri), Plant Studies, Prehistoric Indians, Salts Cave Mammoth Cave National Park KY