Food Plants

Zea mays subsp. mexicana Zea mays subsp. mays

Cross section of corn leaf

Cross section of corn leaf showing C-4 pathway

The One Food Problem

Cliff House at Mesa Verde – circa 1200 AD

Beginnings of the Anasazi During their so-called Archaic Period ( BCE) the Anasazi were hunter-gatherers - they lived mostly on roasted seeds of Indian grass (Oryzopsis sp.), cattails (Typha lattifolia), salt bush (Atriplex canescens - Chenopodiaceae), and sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella - Polygonaceae); Rabbits and a few deer provided the bulk of the animal protein in the diet - they lived mostly in caves or in depressions with simple coverings made of juniper branches (Juniperus scopulorum - Cupressaceae)

Oryzopsis sp. – Indian ricegrass

Atriplex canescens - saltbush

Typha latifolia - cattail

Rumex acetosella – sheep sorrel

Changes to Anasazi life About 100 BCE, maize plants arrived and Anasazi life began to change - at first the Anasazi did not adopt maize except as a novelty About 100 BCE, Anasazi made a change to the so called Basket Maker II lifestyle in which they made baskets, sandals, and nets woven from yucca fibers (Yucca baccata - Agavaceae)

Yucca baccata

Anasazi yucca products

Basket Maker III Basket maker III was from about AD - here they became much more agricultural - probably due to the arrival of beans Phaseolus vulgaris (pinto and kidney beans) and P. acutifolius (tepary or pavi beans) The Anasazi began to select maize varieties with larger ears and more productivity They also begin to experiment with irrigation and developed or acquired bows and arrows

Phaseolus vulgaris – pinto, kidney beans

Phaseolus acutifolius – tepary or pavi bean

Pueblo I Pueblo I lasted from AD - here the Anasazi adopted an increasingly sedentary lifestyle with advances in basketry and pottery, cotton was used for cloth, dwellings were made of stone above ground with pit houses transformed into ceremonial kivas Large stores of grain made higher populations possible and also led to warfare and raiding for grain

Anasazi Runi

Pueblo II and III Pueblo II ( AD) and Pueblo III ( AD) saw the development of even larger towns and cities, dwellings were built in cliffs for protection - made very sophisticated baskets and pottery, had highly developed irrigation systems - may have used captive turkeys for meat, feeding them on grain Then from 1276 to 1299 there was 23 years of continuous drought - the Anasazi ultimately abandoned their cities and moved south to better drainage areas - today their descendents survive as the Zuni, Hopi, and Rio Grande Pueblo tribes

Timeline of Anasazi culture

What the Anasazi Left

For Love of the Potato

The Potato Comes to Europe The potato came to Europe about at first, most people in Europe, including the Irish, used the potato as a back up for grain production, but by the end of the 17th century, it had become an important winter food; by the mid-eighteenth century it was a general field crop and provided the staple diet of small farmers during most of the year

Benefits of the Potato

Van Gogh – The Potato Eaters

Ukrainian Food Potato PancakesBorsch

Potato Vodka

Severity of blight and famine

Cartoon of Irish “Bogtrotters” circa 1840’s

Young potato plant with early stage of late blight

Dried potato leaf infected with late blight – Phytophthora infestans

Potato tubers with Late blight

Potato field infected with late blight – Infection started in center of field

Irish family digging Potatoes

Irish family potato dinner

Irish food riots

Irish food sent to England – 1847 or 1848

Lessons learned? “Whatever may be the misfortunes of Ireland, the potato is not implicated. It, on the contrary, has more than done its duty, in giving them bones and sinew cheap... There is no other crop equal to the potato in the power of sustaining life and health.” - Bain 1848