Introduction -- Mesoamerican Conceptions of Food and Culture -- Cosmology, Mythology, and Time -- Colonial Sources and Perspectives on Mesoamerican Foodways -- Modern Research on Mesoamerican Foodways -- Part I: Agriculture and Social Complexity: The Roles of Feasting and Ritual Economies -- Part II: Ethnography, Ethnobotany, Language and Diet -- Part III: Food as Metaphor: Mythology and Iconography -- Conclusions -- References -- Staller_Ch02_O.pdf -- Ethnohistoric Sources on Foodways, Feasts, and Festivals in Mesoamerica -- Introduction -- A New World -- Primary, Secondary, and Native Accounts -- Using Ethnohistoric Sources -- Western Conceptions of New World Traditions -- First Impressions -- Mesoamerican Farming Practices -- What Native Americans Ate and Drank -- New World Preparations and Intoxicants -- Early Economy, Markets, and Foodways in New Spain -- Tenochtitlan and the Great Market at Tlaltelolco -- Classification, Storage, and Redistribution -- Mesoamerican Commerce and Foodways -- Food, Feasting, and Mesoamerican Religion -- Roles of Foodways to Feasting and Festivals -- Divine Foods and Their Associated Deities -- Summary and Conclusions -- References -- Staller_Ch03_O.pdf -- Development of Agriculture in Prehistoric Mesoamerica: The Linguistic Evidence -- Introduction -- Background -- Historical Linguistics: Lexical Reconstruction and Glottochronology -- Interpretation of LD Dates -- The Data: Languages and Plants -- Discussion of Table 1 -- Ancestral-Language Homelands -- Basic Analysis -- Expanded Interpretation -- Conclusion -- Appendix 1 -- Appendix 2 -- Appendix 3 -- References -- Staller_Ch04_O.pdf -- The Pastoral Niche in Pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica -- Introduction -- Maguey as a Source of Food, Fiber, and Fuel.

Maguey Flesh and Sap as Food -- Maguey Fiber for Spinning and Weaving -- Maguey Sap, Flesh, and Fiber in Combination -- Aquatic Resources: A Case Study from the Valley of Mexico -- The Aquatic Landscape in the Valley of Mexico -- The Historical Evidence of Saline Lake and Marsh Exploitation in the Valley of Mexico -- The Special Importance of Algae and Aquatic Insects in the Sixteenth Century -- The Later Colonial Period and Nineteenth Century -- Recent Ethnographic and Experimental Evidence -- Pre-Hispanic Elite Control and Market Redistribution of Maguey and Aquatic Products -- Maguey Products -- Aquatic Products -- Conclusions -- Model for the Northward Expansion of Mesoamerican Civilization ca. 500 B.C. to 500 A.D. -- Overall Summary and Conclusions -- References -- Staller_Ch05_O.pdf -- The Drink Mescal: Its Origin and Ritual Uses -- Introduction -- Mescal in Sources and Chronicles -- Mescal Ethnoarchaeology -- Food and Ritual Uses of Mescal -- Conclusions -- References -- Staller_Ch06_O.pdf -- Forming Mesoamerican Taste: Cacao Consumption in Formative Period Contexts -- Introduction -- Early Cacao in Mesoamerica: A Review of a Shifting Landscape -- Puerto Escondido: Finding Cacao in Early Formative Contexts -- Other Early Formative Cacao Use -- Puerto Escondido: Cacao in Middle Formative Contexts -- Cacao in Middle Formative Contexts: Persistent Variability -- Ancient Social Contexts of Cacao Foods in Mesoamerica -- Early Cacao Studies: Moving Forward -- References -- Staller_Ch07_O.pdf -- Salt Production and Trade in Ancient Mesoamerica -- Introduction -- Salt as a Strategic Resource in Mesoamerica -- The Many Uses of Salt in Ancient Mesoamerica -- Nutrition -- Food Preservation -- Textile Production -- Salt Sources and Production Techniques in Mesoamerica -- The Basin of Mexico -- The Sayula Basin, Jalisco -- Cuyutlán, Colima.

Lake Cuitzeo Basin, Michoacán -- Coastal Michoacán -- Coastal Guerrero -- The Maya Area -- Veracruz -- Salt Trade, Tribute, and Transportation -- Conclusions -- References -- Staller_Ch08_O.pdf -- The Dirt on Food: Ancient Feasts and Markets Among the Lowland Maya -- Introduction -- Tyranny of the Bread and Circus Paradigm Also Known as the Political Economy -- Promise and Problems of Ancient Maya Market Exchange: It's the Economy, Stupid -- Archaeological Signatures of Ancient Maya Marketplaces -- The Dirt on Food -- Geochemical Investigations in a Modern Maya Marketplace -- Geochemical Investigations at Chunchucmil and La Trinidad -- Trinidad de Nosotros -- Summary of the Antigua, Chunchucmil, and Trindad Data -- KISS, or Keep It Simple Stupid -- Conclusions -- Final Thoughts -- References -- Staller_Ch09_O.pdf -- An Epigraphic Analysis of Classic-Period Maya Foodstuffs -- Introduction -- The Tortilla of Life -- Cacao Drinks in the Classic Period -- Ul and Atole -- Sakha': The White Water of Ritual -- Other Drinks from the Epigraphic Record -- Foods and Titles Among the Classic Period Maya -- Conclusion -- References -- Staller_Ch10_O.pdf -- Sweet Cacao and Sour Atole: Mixed Drinks on Classic Maya Ceramic Vases -- Deciphering Classic Maya Recipes -- Fruity Cacao -- Sweet Chocolate -- Cherry Chocolate -- Sour Atole -- Atole with Sweet Potatoes -- Sa', sa'al kakaw, and sak sa'[al] chih -- Discussion and Conclusions -- References -- Staller_Ch11_O.pdf -- Prehistoric Chronology of the Common Bean in the New World: The Linguistic Evidence -- Introduction -- Methodology -- Glottochronology -- AMS Dating of Beans in the Americas -- Bean Chronology and Glottochronological Dates -- Conclusion -- Postscript -- References -- Staller_Ch12_O.pdf -- Death and Chocolate: The Significance of Cacao Offerings in Ancient Maya Tombs and Caches at Copan, Honduras.

Introduction -- Cacao, Food, Death, and Culture -- Cacao's Role in Ancient Maya Culture -- Cacao in Ancient Vessels at Copan -- Ancient Comestibles Containing Cacao at Copan -- Producing Foods Worthy of Revered Ancestors and Gods -- Food, Cacao, Religion, and Meaning -- Conclusions -- References -- Staller_Ch13_O.pdf -- Feasting with Foam: Ceremonial Drinks of Cacao, Maize, and Pataxte Cacao -- Atole and Creation: The Goddess Xmukane Creates Human Life -- Atole: Liquid Breakfast -- Cacao: Gift from the Tree of Sustenance -- Origin of Cacao in the Popol Vuh -- Precious Narratives: Inscriptions on Cacao Drinking Cups -- Ritual Importance of Cacao -- Pataxte, the Cousin of Cacao -- Blending Divine Liquids: Maize and Chocolate -- Maize and Cacao Drinks of the Contemporary Maya and Zapotec -- Tan uk'ul, Cacao and Atole Drink of the Yucatec Maya -- Posol from the Chontal Maya and Mestizos of Tabasco -- Champurrado of the Oaxaca Valley Zapotecs -- Chocolateatole of the Valley of Oaxaca Zapotecs -- Essence of Foam: Crown of Chocolateatole -- A Secret Ritual Treatment of Pataxte -- Raising Foam in a Zapotec Kitchen -- California Kitchen Experiments -- Conclusion -- Staller_Ch14_O.pdf -- Corn, Colanders, and Cooking: Early Maize Processing in the Maya Lowlands and Its Implications -- Introduction -- Making Nixtamal: Motivation, Materials, and Methods -- Early Maize in the Maya Lowlands: History and Estimated Productivity -- Maize Processing and the Cunil Horizon -- Conclusions -- References -- Staller_Ch15_O.pdf -- Potographies and Biographies: The Role of Food in Ritual and Identity as Seen Through Life Histories of Selected Maya Pots and -- Introduction -- Historical Context: Lamanai During the Terminal Classic to Early Postclassic Period -- Terminal Classic to Early Postclassic Burials in Residential Complexes.

Terminal Classic to Early Postclassic Burial Patterns -- Pottery-Based Reconstruction of Identity -- Biological Reconstruction of Identity -- Terminal Classic to Early Postclassic Burials in Residential Complexes -- General Statements -- P8-102 -- Ceramic Evidence -- Skeletal Evidence -- N10-66 -- Ceramic Evidence -- Skeletal Evidence -- Ottawa Group -- Ceramic Evidence -- Skeletal Evidence -- N10-2 -- Ceramic Evidence -- Skeletal Evidence -- Discussion and Conclusions -- References -- Staller_Ch16_O.pdf -- Dietary Diversity in the Upper Belize River Valley: A Zooarchaeological and Isotopic Perspective -- Introduction -- The Belize River Valley Diet: An Overview -- Isotope Methodology: Humans and Other Animals -- Zooarchaeology of Xunantunich: Polity, Site, and Context -- Xunantunich Polity Fauna -- San Lorenzo -- Xunantunich -- Discussion: Placing Faunal Data in Isotopic Context -- Animal Habitat and Habitat Diversity -- Conclusion -- References -- Staller_Ch17_O.pdf -- Power Plants: Paleobotanical Evidence of Rural Feasting in Late Classic Belize -- The Pre-Hispanic Contexts -- Guijarral: A Late Classic Maya Rural Settlement -- Late Classic Plant Consumption at Guijarral -- Plants Associated with Feasting: Site Center -- Plants Associated with Domestic Consumption: Chispas -- Plants Found in Both Contexts -- Discussion: Ecological, Subsistence, and Social Implications -- Conclusions -- References -- Staller_Ch18_O.pdf -- Food and Feasting in the Zona Maya of Quintana Roo -- Pre-Columbian Heritage -- Spanish and African Borrowings -- Maya Food Today -- Ceremonies and Feasting -- References -- Staller_Ch19_O.pdf -- All Maize Is Not Equal: Maize Variety Choices and Mayan Foodways in Rural Yucatan, Mexico -- Introduction -- Maize Diversity in Yucatan: An Overview -- Relative Abundance of Yucatecan Maize Varieties.

Maize Maturation Time and Agroecology.