Neolithic Domesticates and Domestication Summary

Neolithic Overview

• Focus on early domesticates and domestication methods in archaeology.

Paleoethnobotany / Archaeobotany

• Examines ancient plant use via preserved remains (e.g., charred materials).
• Floatation method used to recover botanical remains for study.

Identifying Domesticates

• Morphological Analysis: Compares ancient preserved plant remains with modern varieties.
• Genetic Analysis: Uses DNA comparisons to identify changes in plants.

Barley Domestication

• Wild barley has a brittle rachis causing seeds to shatter.
• Cultivated barley has a tough rachis to retain seeds during harvesting.

Zooarchaeology

• Studies animal domestication through skeletal morphology and demographic profiles.
• Uses aDNA (ancient DNA) and stable isotopes to trace animal origins and migrations.

Stable Isotope Analysis

• Helps in understanding animal diets, migration patterns, and human-animal relationships.
• Reflects on close human-animal interactions, such as husbandry.

Domestication Pathways

• Multiple independent domestication events across different regions.
• Influenced by environmental and social reasons.

Regional Domestication Examples

• Eastern USA: Maize and other crops domesticated circa 2000-1000 BC.
• Central Mexico: Maize domesticated from teosinte, alongside beans and squash.
• East Asia: Millet and rice cultivated distinctively in China.

Agricultural Trends

• Variation in domestication and agricultural practices across different regions.

Eastern Agricultural Complex

• Key crops included Chenopods, Maygrass, and others cultivated independently in the Eastern US.
• Notable late introduction of maize around 2000 BP, becoming influential later (around 950 BP).

Cultivation Indicators

• Presence of weedy species in early agriculture shifts their status from wild to cultivated through human intervention.