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Evidence Indicates Manioc Was a Major Maya Crop
from the Los Angeles Times
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Corn was the royalty of Maya food crops,
celebrated in religion and cosmology, but
archaeologists have long suspected that a
different crop, the lowly manioc plant, was
the mainstay of Maya life, providing the basic
sustenance that allowed their civilization to
flourish in densely populated cities.
Now, Colorado researchers have provided the
first direct evidence that manioc was indeed
intensively cultivated by the Maya -- in
quantities that would allow its use for many
purposes.
Manioc tubers, also known as cassava, can
grow to as much as 3 feet long and as thick as
a man's arm. They produce the highest food
energy yield of any cultivated crop, about
eight to 10 times as much as corn. They can
also be grown in infertile soils and require
little or no irrigation.
Read more...
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