Summary
- 1.
Thirty-one plant species from a prehistoric occupied cave in southwestern New Mexico are identified. Some possible uses of many of the plants are suggested.
- 2.
Cucurbita foetidissima, the fruits of which were gathered and which has some of the traits of a potential domesticate, shows no effects of human selection over a period of 1400 years.
- 3.
Several classes of vegetal materials measured quantitatively vary in frequency with changes in human culture but the relationship of these variations to culture change is not apparent.
- 4.
An early but questioned report of the use ofMentzelia seed for food is supported by the presence of a quantity of the stored seed in the cave.
- 5.
The significance of fibrous compactions, or masticates, present in this cave which is outside of the range of mescal baking pits is discussed.
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Kaplan, L. Archeoethnobotany of cordova cave, New Mexico. Econ Bot 17, 350–359 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02860144
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02860144