A Kernel of Truth: On the Possibilities of Extensive Maize Agriculture in the Archaeological Northeast. Jon Apperstein, Ph.D. candidate, Dartmouth College.
Our understanding of the regional archaeological landscape has been relatively stable for the past few decades. The main archaeological questions continue to be centered on the great maize debate and its intersection with Woodland settlements—specifically, the absence of large sedentary Woodland villages and minimal evidence of widespread agriculture. Due to a combination of poor preservation, long histories of colonization and methodological failures the archaeobotanical remains of maize are relatively thin especially compared to other maize cultivating communities elsewhere in North America. This talk aims to review the evidence of maize agriculture prior to extensive European colonization, the impact of maize agriculture on settlement, and finally, explain novel ways to locate new evidence that challenges and expands our understanding of the Archaeological Northeast.