Plants and Domestic Archaeology in Meso America

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Plants and Domestic Archaeology in Mesoamerica

by Annette Baus

Domestic archaeology is a label for the physical structure of the house itself as well as the

group of people sharing most aspects of everyday life, i. e. the household (Hendon & Joyce

2003). The wide range that is implied by Hendon & Joyce (2003) and the required briefness

of this essay make it necessary to concentrate on a special aspect of our lecture Domestic

Archaeology in Mesoamerica. I will therefore concentrate on the interaction between plants

and households. We will see that there is an input and influence on architecture, diet, social

differentiation and so on.

Mesoamerica, being the land bridge between the Nearctic of North America and the

Neotropic of South America which are the worlds greatest biogeographic regions, is among

the biologically most diverse areas on our whole planet (Conservation International, Mexico

and Central American Program 2004). There are 33 ecoregions in Mesoamerica, including

coastal-marine, rainforests, cloud forests, dry forests and pine forests. The archaeologically

most important regions are the highlands with tropical vegetation. The variety of distinct

plants provided by these ecozones is reflected by different use in architecture, different staple

foods and diets, different agricultural techniques and so forth.

Use in Architecture/Construction Material

Construction material not only depends on the material available; various architectural

expressions mirror also different social stratigraphy. Whereas more stone is used in the living

area of the nobility; considerably more wattle-and-daub architecture was used in less

privileged areas, at least in the Classic and Post-Classic Period. Thus in El Canl housegroups

consist of more wattle-and-daub houses than apartment compounds. At Altar de Sacrificios,

wattle-and-daub constructions and postholes occur regularly during the Formative Period

(Willey 1973:23, 1990:193). In San Jos Mogote (Formative Period) the wall posts consisted

of pine, intertwined with cane and hold together with rope. This mirrors the available material

in the Oaxacan highlands where pine woods were abundant.


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Thatching material consisted of reed canary grass (Phalarisarundinacea) in the case of San

Jos Mogote. Even reed mats on house floors could be identified.

Other architectural features in connection with plants are storage pits (barrel or bell shaped

pits with stone caps) whose bases were outlined with grasses and other plant material,

granaries, and hearths for food preparation.

Plants, or rather their representations, are used in murals as can be seen in the apartment

compounds of Teotihuacn. Although fine murals were not common in apartment compounds

- many walls were only white-plastered - some are nevertheless exquisitely painted like the

flowering tree motifs in Tepantitla-Teotihuacn:


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or the Tlalocan mural from Yayahuala-Teotihuacn with a flowering prickly pear (Opuntia

phaeacantha).

It can also well be imagined that the latticework on the faades of palaces and temples

represent mats and fabrics turned to stone:


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Food Production and Consummation

Food production indicated by manos, one-handed grinding stones, and

metates, runner stones, took already place in the Archaic Period. Earlydomesticated Cucurbita pepo is dating back to 10, 000 years cal BP in

Guil Naquitz (Smith 1997, Smith 2001). For maize the oldest date is

from Guil Naquitz, too and dates to 6 300 cal BP. But only from about

3 500 BC onwards we can regularly find domesticates like runner beans

(Phaseolus coccineus), Agave ( Agavae sp.), prickly pears (Opuntia

phaeacantha), and bottle gourd (Lagenaria Siceraria).

The arid caves of North Mexico like Tamaulipas are a

good example for this period of time but there are also

a few highland sites. They offer a unique possibility to

study macrobotanical remains and coprolites. The

Tehuacn caves for example show that as early as the

Early Archaic imported avocado was used alongside a

wide variety of wild plants of the immediate vicinity.

In the following Coxcatln phase more plants were

brought in like white and black sapote (Casimiroa

edulis and Diospyros digyna resp.) and coyol palm

(Acrocomia mexicana).

From the Formative Period onwards Mesoamerican staple food consisted of the maize-beans-

sqash trinity. The different mechanisms of food preparation can be seen in usage of different

ceramic types. Thus tepontlas (cooking pots) of San Martn were used for cooking maize

gruel, comales on the other hand for tortilla baking. There was a relatively sudden change in

diet in Teotihuacn where tepontlas were in usage till AD 100. From then on comales

dominated the ceramic inventory, signifying a change in maize consummation practices.

Other ceramics indicating specific plants or their preparations are amphoras for pulque or

braseros for copal.


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A unique opportunity is offered through El Cern where residues were ash covered due to

volcanic activities. The resulting conservation of plant remains could even tell us that there

was a surplus production of food.

The problem of communal feasting is more difficult to address. An analysis of the ceramic

inventory as well as palaeobotanical studies in public courtyards, palaces, and cenotes is

highly desirable.

Diet as well as the composition of food remains and ceramics in houses is also an expression

of wealth. Hence the study of food remains in houses also gives us a clue to the social

stratigraphy in a certain community.

Production Areas

An essential part of every household is food procurement areas. Food production was partially

done inside the house but when climate permits a substantial part was done outside which is

documented by e. g. lime residues in maize preparation areas or the presence of metates. The

fact that a substantial part of the everyday life happened outside the actual building makes

attempts to estimate population numbers by roofed floor-areas as developed by Naroll (1962)

for the Levante in the 60s and applied on Mesoamerica by Flannery (1972) in the 70s difficult

and it is nearly impossible to compare roofed floor-areas of houses in areas that are

climatically and by tradition different from Mesoamerica with Mesoamerican floor-areas.

A second plant related activity set was the manufacture of fabrics. Only in rare occasions this

can be verified by the fabric itself due to preservation problems. However, dry caves in North

Mexico again show us that as early as the Archaic Period different plant fibres were used for

production of cordage, sandals, baskets, and mats as can be seen in Coahuila or Guil

Naquitz. Sometimes we can also find impressions of fabrics on ceramics when the clay pots

were put on mats for drying as in caves in Tehuacn of the Formative Period and more rarely

even waterlogged textiles and basketry are preserved as is the case of the cenote of Chichen

Itz. Some excavations yield replicas gained by casting. Thus it was possible to reconstruct a

two-ply braided twine from Cern together with the fibre supplying maquey plant.


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It is believed that cotton was used exclusively for the nobility and most everyday textiles were

produced from agave fibres. In any case the fibres were spun, dyed with cochineal lice or a

variety of vegetable dyes, and subsequently spun on backstrap looms. From figurines, painted

pottery, or reliefs we know about the elaborate dress of the elite.


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To more closely connect fibre and textile making with an area in a household we can make

usage of textile production linked tools like spindle weights or bone needles.

Ceramic figurines and painted pottery show women engaged in the production of textiles and

foodstuffs. Hence the data gained from these production centres allows also a thorough study

of the role of gender in Mesoamerican society.

Plants and Ritual

Plants played a big role in ritual activities since a lot of alcoholic beverages and psychoactive

substances are based on plants: pulque, made from maguey, peyote from the cactus

Lophophora williamsi, Datura (Tagetes patula), but also cacao. How much non-elite

households are involved in the manufacturing of such beverages and drugs is as far as I know

not known.


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Plants and Religion

Independently from how large and complex a state is, there will always be a good deal of

village-level religion ranging from ancestor worshipping to expressions of state religion.

In ancient Mesoamerica gods were often associated with different plants. These gods were not

only worshipped in temples but also in private households. Thus motifs like the cosmic tree,

the Mayan maize god Yum Kaax, who was associated with life and prosperity, or the Aztec

flower god Xochipilli appear on altars, murals, ceramics etc.


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The spatial distribution of censers in Teotihuacn is also of interest as they tend to be

favoured in certain sectors of a compound and associated with cult storage rooms and

courtyards.

The presence of these cult elements, and the identification of areas where ritual activities took

place, can lead to ideas of how the domestic cults and rituals were carried out in everyday life.


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Households and Gardens

Gardens were not only used in communal or elite context as for instance gardens in ball game

courts.

Many households have probably owned their own kitchen garden. However, little information

is available on the relationship between households and gardens. Although some unique

opportunities exist like in Cern, where volcanic ash preserved even the organic material of

gardens and fields. Ethnobotanical studies, too would be helpful to broaden our knowledge on

this still neglected field of study.

Conclusion

As we can see there is a large variety of information concerning domestic archaeology that

can be obtained from plants. Still ethnobotanical studies are only recently accounted for in

archaeological excavations. Not only is there a lack of information concerning horticulture in

domestic kitchen gardens or analysis of residues in ceramic vessels but also more

investigation on the role of plants in marketsof which Tenochtitlan owned at least five with

a permanent principal one in Tlateloco - and trade as well as plants and their role in gender

studies should be made an imperative in Mesoamerican archaeological research.

Documents

Plants and Domestic Archaeology in Meso America