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The age of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in the northern Eastern Woodlands of North America

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

John P. Hart ,
David L. Asch ,
C. Margaret Scarry  and
Gary W. Crawford
John P. Hart
Affiliation:
Research & Collections Division, New York State Museum, Albany NY 12230, USA. [email protected]
David L. Asch
Affiliation:
Research & Collections Division, New York State Museum, Albany NY 12230, USA. [email protected]
C. Margaret Scarry
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC 27599, USA
Gary W. Crawford
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Mississauga ONT L5L 1C6, Canada
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Extract

This study addresses the lack of chronometric research on the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to establish precisely the timing of its adoption and spread across the northern Eastern Woodlands of North America. Bean and directly associated maize samples were subjected to accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dating. The results show that the common bean apparently spread rapidly upon its introduction to the region, becoming archaeologically visible from the Illinois River valley to southern New England in the calibrated late 13th century AD, some 200–300 years later than previously thought.

Keywords

northeastern North Americamaize-beans-squash agriculturecommon beanPhaseolus vulgarisAMS dating
Type
News & Notes
Information
Antiquity , Volume 76 , Issue 292 , June 2002 , pp. 377 - 383
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2002

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