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Early Agriculture in the eastern Grand Canyon of Arizona, USA

January 1, 2000

Abandoned fields in Colorado River alluvium in the eastern Grand Canyon show signs of primitive agriculture. Presence of maize pollen in association with buried soils near Comanche Creek suggests that farming began prior to 3130 yr B.P. Cotton pollen, identified in buried soils near Nankoweap Creek, dates to 1310 yr B.P., approximately 500 years earlier than previously reported anywhere on the Colorado Plateau. Farming spanned three millennia in this reach of the canyon. Entrenchment, starting approximately 700 yr B.P., making water diversion to fields infeasible, was likely responsible for field abandonment.

Publication Year 2000
Title Early Agriculture in the eastern Grand Canyon of Arizona, USA
DOI 10.1002/1520-6548(200012)15:8<783::AID-GEA3>3.0.CO;2-I
Authors S.W. Davis, M. E. Davis, I. Lucchitta, R. Finkel, M. Caffee
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Geoarchaeology - An International Journal
Index ID 70022335
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse