Staller / Carrasco Pre-Columbian Foodways

Interdisciplinary Approaches to Food, Culture, and Markets in Ancient Mesoamerica
1. Auflage 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4419-0471-3
Verlag: Springer-Verlag
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 691 Seiten

The significance of food and feasting to Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures has been extensively studied by archaeologists, anthropologists and art historians. Foodways studies have been critical to our understanding of early agriculture, political economies, and the domestication and management of plants and animals. Scholars from diverse fields have explored the symbolic complexity of food and its preparation, as well as the social importance of feasting in contemporary and historical societies. This book unites these disciplinary perspectives - from the social and biological sciences to art history and epigraphy - creating a work comprehensive in scope, which reveals our increasing understanding of the various roles of foods and cuisines in Mesoamerican cultures. The volume is organized thematically into three sections. Part 1 gives an overview of food and feasting practices as well as ancient economies in Mesoamerica. Part 2 details ethnographic, epigraphic and isotopic evidence of these practices. Finally, Part 3 presents the metaphoric value of food in Mesoamerican symbolism, ritual, and mythology. The resulting volume provides a thorough, interdisciplinary resource for understanding, food, feasting, and cultural practices in Mesoamerica.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Staller, John

Carrasco, Michael

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Contents;6
2;Contributors;9
3;Pre-Columbian Foodways in Mesoamerica;12
3.1;Introduction;12
3.2;Mesoamerican Conceptions of Food and Culture;14
3.2.1;Cosmology, Mythology, and Time;15
3.3;Colonial Sources and Perspectives on Mesoamerican Foodways;19
3.4;Modern Research on Mesoamerican Foodways;20
3.5;Part I: Agriculture and Social Complexity: The Roles of Feasting and Ritual Economies;22
3.6;Part II: Ethnography, Ethnobotany, Language and Diet;23
3.7;Part III: Food as Metaphor: Mythology and Iconography;25
3.8;Conclusions;26
3.9;References;27
4;Ethnohistoric Sources on Foodways, Feasts, and Festivals in Mesoamerica;33
4.1;Introduction;33
4.2;A New World;34
4.2.1;Primary, Secondary, and Native Accounts;36
4.3;Using Ethnohistoric Sources;37
4.3.1;Western Conceptions of New World Traditions;38
4.3.2;First Impressions;39
4.4;Mesoamerican Farming Practices;47
4.4.1;What Native Americans Ate and Drank;49
4.4.2;New World Preparations and Intoxicants;54
4.5;Early Economy, Markets, and Foodways in New Spain;59
4.5.1;Tenochtitlan and the Great Market at Tlaltelolco;61
4.6;Classification, Storage, and Redistribution;65
4.6.1;Mesoamerican Commerce and Foodways;66
4.7;Food, Feasting, and Mesoamerican Religion;67
4.7.1;Roles of Foodways to Feasting and Festivals;69
4.7.2;Divine Foods and Their Associated Deities;70
4.8;Summary and Conclusions;72
4.9;References;73
5;Development of Agriculture in Prehistoric Mesoamerica: The Linguistic Evidence;80
5.1;Introduction;80
5.2;Background;81
5.3;Historical Linguistics: Lexical Reconstruction and Glottochronology;81
5.4;Interpretation of LD Dates;88
5.5;The Data: Languages and Plants;88
5.6;Discussion of Table 1;90
5.7;Ancestral-Language Homelands;91
5.8;Basic Analysis;96
5.9;Expanded Interpretation;99
5.10;Conclusion;103
5.11;Appendix 1;104
5.12;Appendix 2;107
5.13;Appendix 3;111
5.14;References;115
6;The Pastoral Niche in Pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica;117
6.1;Introduction;117
6.2;Maguey as a Source of Food, Fiber, and Fuel;120
6.2.1;Maguey Flesh and Sap as Food;121
6.2.2;Maguey Fiber for Spinning and Weaving;126
6.2.3;Maguey Sap, Flesh, and Fiber in Combination;127
6.3;Aquatic Resources: A Case Study from the Valley of Mexico;129
6.3.1;The Aquatic Landscape in the Valley of Mexico;129
6.3.2;The Historical Evidence of Saline Lake and Marsh Exploitation in the Valley of Mexico;130
6.3.3;The Special Importance of Algae and Aquatic Insects in the Sixteenth Century;132
6.3.4;The Later Colonial Period and Nineteenth Century;135
6.3.5;Recent Ethnographic and Experimental Evidence;136
6.4;Pre-Hispanic Elite Control and Market Redistribution of Maguey and Aquatic Products;138
6.4.1;Maguey Products;138
6.4.2;Aquatic Products;139
6.4.3;Conclusions;140
6.5;Model for the Northward Expansion of Mesoamerican Civilization ca. 500 B.C. to 500 A.D.;140
6.6;Overall Summary and Conclusions;141
6.7;References;142
7;The Drink Mescal: Its Origin and Ritual Uses;145
7.1;Introduction;145
7.2;Mescal in Sources and Chronicles;147
7.3;Mescal Ethnoarchaeology;153
7.4;Food and Ritual Uses of Mescal;159
7.5;Conclusions;162
7.6;References;163
8;Forming Mesoamerican Taste: Cacao Consumption in Formative Period Contexts;165
8.1;Introduction;165
8.2;Early Cacao in Mesoamerica: A Review of a Shifting Landscape;165
8.2.1;Puerto Escondido: Finding Cacao in Early Formative Contexts;167
8.2.2;Other Early Formative Cacao Use;172
8.3;Puerto Escondido: Cacao in Middle Formative Contexts;173
8.3.1;Cacao in Middle Formative Contexts: Persistent Variability;175
8.4;Ancient Social Contexts of Cacao Foods in Mesoamerica;176
8.5;Early Cacao Studies: Moving Forward;178
8.6;References;180
9;Salt Production and Trade in Ancient Mesoamerica;182
9.1;Introduction;182
9.2;Salt as a Strategic Resource in Mesoamerica;183
9.3;The Many Uses of Salt in Ancient Mesoamerica;184
9.3.1;Nutrition;184
9.3.2;Food Preservation;184
9.3.3;Textile Production;186
9.4;Salt Sources and Production Techniques in Mesoamerica;186
9.4.1;The Basin of Mexico;186
9.4.2;The Sayula Basin, Jalisco;187
9.4.3;Cuyutlán, Colima;187
9.4.4;Lake Cuitzeo Basin, Michoacán;187
9.4.5;Coastal Michoacán;189
9.4.6;Coastal Guerrero;190
9.4.7;The Maya Area;190
9.4.8;Veracruz;191
9.5;Salt Trade, Tribute, and Transportation;191
9.6;Conclusions;194
9.7;References;195
10;The Dirt on Food: Ancient Feasts and Markets Among the Lowland Maya;198
10.1;Introduction;198
10.2;Tyranny of the Bread and Circus Paradigm Also Known as the Political Economy;198
10.3;Promise and Problems of Ancient Maya Market Exchange: It’s the Economy, Stupid;201
10.4;Archaeological Signatures of Ancient Maya Marketplaces;204
10.5;The Dirt on Food;206
10.6;Geochemical Investigations in a Modern Maya Marketplace;208
10.7;Geochemical Investigations at Chunchucmil and La Trinidad;209
10.8;Trinidad de Nosotros;220
10.9;Summary of the Antigua, Chunchucmil, and Trindad Data;223
10.10;KISS, or Keep It Simple Stupid;223
10.11;Conclusions;228
10.12;Final Thoughts;229
10.13;References;230
11;An Epigraphic Analysis of Classic-Period Maya Foodstuffs;241
11.1;Introduction;241
11.2;The Tortilla of Life;242
11.3;Cacao Drinks in the Classic Period;243
11.4;Ul and Atole;250
11.5;Sakha’: The White Water of Ritual;252
11.6;Other Drinks from the Epigraphic Record;254
11.7;Foods and Titles Among the Classic Period Maya;255
11.8;Conclusion;258
11.9;References;259
12;Sweet Cacao and Sour Atole: Mixed Drinks on Classic Maya Ceramic Vases;263
12.1;Deciphering Classic Maya Recipes;263
12.2;Fruity Cacao;264
12.3;Sweet Chocolate;266
12.4;Cherry Chocolate;267
12.5;Sour Atole;269
12.6;Atole with Sweet Potatoes;269
12.7;Sa’, sa’al kakaw, and sak sa’[al] chih;270
12.8;Discussion and Conclusions;273
12.9;References;275
13;Prehistoric Chronology of the Common Bean in the New World: The Linguistic Evidence;279
13.1;Introduction;279
13.2;Methodology;280
13.3;Glottochronology;283
13.4;AMS Dating of Beans in the Americas;285
13.5;Bean Chronology and Glottochronological Dates;286
13.6;Conclusion;293
13.7;Postscript;294
13.8;References;295
14;Death and Chocolate: The Significance of Cacao Offerings in Ancient Maya Tombs and Caches at Copan, Honduras;298
14.1;Introduction;298
14.2;Cacao, Food, Death, and Culture;298
14.3;Cacao’s Role in Ancient Maya Culture;299
14.4;Cacao in Ancient Vessels at Copan;302
14.5;Ancient Comestibles Containing Cacao at Copan;304
14.6;Producing Foods Worthy of Revered Ancestors and Gods;310
14.7;Food, Cacao, Religion, and Meaning;311
14.8;Conclusions;316
14.9;References;317
15;Feasting with Foam: Ceremonial Drinks of Cacao, Maize, and Pataxte Cacao;320
15.1;Atole and Creation: The Goddess Xmukane Creates Human Life;321
15.2;Atole: Liquid Breakfast;322
15.3;Cacao: Gift from the Tree of Sustenance;323
15.4;Origin of Cacao in the Popol Vuh;326
15.5;Precious Narratives: Inscriptions on Cacao Drinking Cups;327
15.6;Ritual Importance of Cacao;329
15.7;Pataxte, the Cousin of Cacao;329
15.8;Blending Divine Liquids: Maize and Chocolate;331
15.8.1;Maize and Cacao Drinks of the Contemporary Maya and Zapotec;333
15.8.2;Tan uk’ul, Cacao and Atole Drink of the Yucatec Maya;333
15.8.3;Posol from the Chontal Maya and Mestizos of Tabasco;334
15.8.4;Champurrado of the Oaxaca Valley Zapotecs;335
15.8.5;Chocolateatole of the Valley of Oaxaca Zapotecs;336
15.9;Essence of Foam: Crown of Chocolateatole;338
15.9.1;A Secret Ritual Treatment of Pataxte;339
15.9.2;Raising Foam in a Zapotec Kitchen;342
15.9.3;California Kitchen Experiments;342
15.10;Conclusion;345
16;Corn, Colanders, and Cooking: Early Maize Processing in the Maya Lowlands and Its Implications;349
16.1;Introduction;349
16.2;Making Nixtamal: Motivation, Materials, and Methods;350
16.3;Early Maize in the Maya Lowlands: History and Estimated Productivity;353
16.4;Maize Processing and the Cunil Horizon;358
16.5;Conclusions;365
16.6;References;368
17;Potographies and Biographies: The Role of Food in Ritual and Identity as Seen Through Life Histories of Selected Maya Pots and;373
17.1;Introduction;373
17.2;Historical Context: Lamanai During the Terminal Classic to Early Postclassic Period;375
17.3;Terminal Classic to Early Postclassic Burials in Residential Complexes;378
17.4;Terminal Classic to Early Postclassic Burial Patterns;379
17.5;Pottery-Based Reconstruction of Identity;381
17.5.1;Biological Reconstruction of Identity;382
17.6;Terminal Classic to Early Postclassic Burials in Residential Complexes;383
17.6.1;General Statements;383
17.7;P8-102;385
17.7.1;Ceramic Evidence;385
17.7.2;Skeletal Evidence;389
17.8;N10-66;391
17.8.1;Ceramic Evidence;391
17.8.2;Skeletal Evidence;392
17.9;Ottawa Group;392
17.9.1;Ceramic Evidence;392
17.9.2;Skeletal Evidence;393
17.10;N10-2;394
17.10.1;Ceramic Evidence;394
17.10.2;Skeletal Evidence;396
17.11;Discussion and Conclusions;397
17.12;References;399
18;Dietary Diversity in the Upper Belize River Valley: A Zooarchaeological and Isotopic Perspective;403
18.1;Introduction;403
18.2;The Belize River Valley Diet: An Overview;404
18.2.1;Isotope Methodology: Humans and Other Animals;406
18.3;Zooarchaeology of Xunantunich: Polity, Site, and Context;407
18.3.1;Xunantunich Polity Fauna;408
18.3.2;San Lorenzo;410
18.3.3;Xunantunich;411
18.4;Discussion: Placing Faunal Data in Isotopic Context;416
18.4.1;Animal Habitat and Habitat Diversity;416
18.5;Conclusion;419
18.6;References;419
19;Power Plants: Paleobotanical Evidence of Rural Feasting in Late Classic Belize;425
19.1;The Pre-Hispanic Contexts;427
19.2;Guijarral: A Late Classic Maya Rural Settlement;428
19.3;Late Classic Plant Consumption at Guijarral;430
19.3.1;Plants Associated with Feasting: Site Center;433
19.3.2;Plants Associated with Domestic Consumption: Chispas;438
19.3.3;Plants Found in Both Contexts;439
19.3.4;Discussion: Ecological, Subsistence, and Social Implications;440
19.4;Conclusions;442
19.5;References;442
20;Food and Feasting in the Zona Maya of Quintana Roo;445
20.1;Pre-Columbian Heritage;445
20.2;Spanish and African Borrowings;452
20.3;Maya Food Today;454
20.4;Ceremonies and Feasting;459
21;All Maize Is Not Equal: Maize Variety Choices and Mayan Foodways in Rural Yucatan, Mexico;470
21.1;Introduction;470
21.2;Maize Diversity in Yucatan: An Overview;472
21.3;Relative Abundance of Yucatecan Maize Varieties;476
21.4;Maize Maturation Time and Agroecology;480
21.5;Kernel Color and Social Meanings of Maize;482
21.6;Conclusion: The Future of Maize Diversity;486
21.7;References;488
22;Maya Foodways: A Reflection of Gender and Ideology;490
22.1;Introduction;490
22.2;Fieldwork;492
22.3;Gendered Spheres of Activity;495
22.4;Gendered Labor;499
22.5;The “Modern” Maya;505
22.6;Concluding Thoughts;507
22.7;References;508
23;The Axolotl as Food and Symbol in the Basin of Mexico, from 1200 BC to today;512
23.1;Introduction;512
23.2;Perpetually Embryos;513
23.3;Possible Transformations;514
23.4;The Raw Or the Roasted;515
23.5;Early European Reports of the Axolotl;516
23.6;Modern Scientific Attention to the Axolotl;517
23.7;The Axolotl in Literature;518
23.8;Xolotl Transforms into Food;519
23.9;The Axolotl in the Early Formative Period;522
23.10;Axolotls and Human Embryos;529
23.11;Middle Formative Transformations;532
23.12;Final Thoughts;533
23.13;References;533
24;Topophilia: A Tool for the Demarcation of Cultural Microregions: The Case of the Huaxteca;535
24.1;Introduction;535
24.2;The Landscape of the Gulf Coast;538
24.3;The Huaxteca;540
24.4;Cooking and its Ingredients;543
24.5;The Construction of a Microregion;546
24.6;References;551
25;This World and Beyond: Food Practices and the Social Order in Mayan Religion;553
25.1;Introduction;553
25.2;Food in Mayan Religion;557
25.3;Food for People;558
25.3.1;Feasting;558
25.3.2;Fasting;560
25.3.3;Forbidden;561
25.4;Food for Otherworld Inhabitants;562
25.4.1;Food in the Upper World;562
25.5;Food Offerings for Upper World Deities;563
25.6;Food in the Underworld;566
25.7;Food Offerings for Underworld Deities;566
25.8;Food for the Soul Traveling to the Otherworld;568
25.9;Food for the Soul Visiting This World;570
25.10;Summary and Conclusions;572
25.11;References;575
26;Maize Was Their Flesh: Ritual Feasting in the Maya Highlands;577
26.1;Food and the Nature of Human Flesh;580
26.2;Feasting with the Gods;583
26.3;Feasting with the Ancestors;590
26.4;Feasting for a Bride;593
26.5;Feasting with Strangers;597
26.6;Conclusions;599
26.7;References;599
27;From Field to Hearth: An Earthly Interpretation of Maya and Other Mesoamerican Creation Myths;601
27.1;Introduction;601
27.2;Maya Cosmology;602
27.3;Organizing the Cosmos;608
27.4;Changing of the Hearth;611
27.4.1;Creation Summary;616
27.5;The Birth of the Maize God;616
27.6;Dressing of the Maize God;621
27.7;Historical and Ethnographic Parallels;624
27.8;Conclusion;629
27.9;References;630
28;The Flesh of God: Cosmology, Food, and the Origins of Political Power in Ancient Southeastern Mesoamerica;635
28.1;Flesh of God;636
28.2;Why Divine Kings?;637
28.3;The Birth of Currency;643
28.4;Bundles, Burdens, Scaffolds, and Altar Thrones;648
28.5;The Cascajal Block, Bundle Contents Memorialized;658
28.6;Rulers, Trees, and Bundles;670
28.7;Planting the Seeds, Raising the Trees, Celebrating Food;674
28.8;References;676
29;Index;681