Maize, one of the primary crops cultivated in South America, has achieved significant interest in regional archaeology. However, the study of maize in regions considered peripheral to major centres of agricultural production, such as Southern Chile, has received minimal attention. Southern Chile is the southernmost point for the dispersal of maize cultivation in the Americas, with archaeological evidence dating back ca. 1000 CE. Despite the manifest presence of maize, our knowledge of its culinary and economic importance for pre-colonial societies from Southern Chile is scarce. In this study, we extracted and analysed organic residues from 188 pottery sherds to explore the potential significance of maize in local foodways over the transition from the Early (ECP: 400–1000 CE) to the Late (LCP: 1000–1550 CE) Ceramic Period. Biomolecular and carbon-stable isotope (δ13C) analyses of lipids indicate that maize was not a staple. Instead, our findings suggest that maize had a potentially prominent role in preparing fermented beverages consumed in important socio-political gatherings and feasts.

中文翻译：

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评估智利南部 Araucanía 玉米的烹饪意义：来自前殖民陶器有机残留物分析的证据


玉米是南美洲种植的主要作物之一，在区域考古学中引起了极大的兴趣。然而，在智利南部等被认为远离主要农业生产中心的地区对玉米的研究很少受到关注。智利南部是美洲玉米种植扩散的最南端，考古证据可追溯到公元 1000 年左右。尽管玉米明显存在，但我们对其对智利南部前殖民社会的烹饪和经济重要性的了解却很少。在这项研究中，我们从 188 个陶片中提取并分析了有机残留物，以探讨玉米在从早期（ECP：公元 400-1000 年）到晚期（LCP：公元 1000-1550 年）陶瓷时期过渡期间在当地食物中的潜在意义。脂质的生物分子和碳稳定同位素 （δ13C） 分析表明玉米不是主食。相反，我们的研究结果表明，玉米在制备重要的社会政治集会和宴会上消费的发酵饮料方面具有潜在的突出作用。