The history of maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most debated topics in New World archaeology. Molecular and genetic studies indicate that maize domestication took place in tropical southwest Mexico. Although archaeological evidence for the evolution of maize from its wild ancestor teosinte has yet to be found in that poorly studied region, other research combining paleoecology and archaeology ...

Four muddy sand sheets occur within a tidal marsh peat at Swantown on the west coast of Whidbey Island, Washington. The two largest sand sheets pinch out about 100 m inland and became thinner and finer-grained landward. All four sand sheets contain marine microfossils and have internal stratification. They record repeated inundation of the marsh over a short time period by distinct pulses of se...

A new method for obtaining permanent quantitative slides of microfossils involves the use of an evaporation tray in which microfossil suspensions can be sedimented randomly onto cover slips on the tray floor. Slides are made after evaporation. The technique is statistically reliable. The results of diatom analyses from lake sediments are usually presented in the form of percentage diagrams in w...