Table 1.
Cucurbita and maize cob phytoliths and maize starch grains from Xihuatoxtla
| Provenience, cm below surface/ layer | Length of Cucurbita phytoliths, μm, mean (range) | Thickness of Cucurbita phytoliths, μm, mean (range) | Number of Cucurbita phytoliths measured | Length of maize starch grains, μm, mean (range) | Number of maize starch grains measured | Maize cob phytoliths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Column sample | ||||||
| Unit 1, 325a, 0–20/A/B | 50 | 1 | NA | WT + Cob-type | ||
| Unit 1, 325b, 20–40/B | 0 | NA | WT + RT + Cob-type | |||
| Unit 1, 325c, 40–48/B | 0 | NA | Cob-type | |||
| Unit 1, 325d, 49–54/C | 65 (59–72) | 53 (45–58) | 7, 3 | NA | Cob-type | |
| Unit 1, 325e, 54–60/C | 61 (47–87) | 47 (40–54) | 4, 2 | NA | WT + Cob-type | |
| Unit 1, 325f, 60–65/D | 80 (54–106) | 59 | 12, 1 | NA | WT + Cob-type | |
| Unit 1, 325 g, 65–75/D/E | 73 (36–108) | 55 (30–84) | 62, 27 | NA | RT + Cob-type | |
| Unit 1, 325 h, 80–90/E | 51 (42–60) | 2 | NA | None (phytoliths uncommon) | ||
| Grinding stones and associated sediments | ||||||
| Unit 1, 310a, 30–35/B | NA | 15 (12–20) | 6 | Stone, 0; sediments, NA | ||
| Unit 1, 312a, 40–45/B | NA | 16 | 1 | Stone, 0; sediments, NA | ||
| Unit 1, 314c, 50–55/C | 54 | 1 | 14 (10–20) | 11 | Stone, cob-type; sediments, cob-type | |
| Unit 1, 315c, 57/C | 56 (47–61) | 48 | 3, 1 | 17 (12–24) | 18 | Stone, cob-type; sediments, cob-type |
| Unit 1, 316c, 60–65/D | 59 (45–87) | 48 (39–61) | 29,16 | 15 (14–16) | 2 | Stone, WT + cob-type; sediments, 0 |
| Unit 1, 316d, 60–67 cm/D | NA | 16 (6–24) | 68 | |||
| Unit 1, 318d, 70–75/E | 53 (41–75) | 41 (32–64) | 28, 10 | 17 (12–26) | 22 | Stone, RT + cob-type; sediments, RT + cob-type |
| Unit 1, 318e, 70–75/E | 69 (48–100) | 53 (40–84) | 29, 15 | 16 (8–24) | 80 | Stone, cob-type; sediments, 0 |
| Unit 1, 319d, 78/E | 59 (36–120) | 36 (27–48) | 37, 8 | 16 (12–24) | 8 | Stone, cob-type; sediments, RT + cob-type |
| Unit 1, 322c, 85–90/E | 53 (41–75) | 29 | 7, 1 | 18 (12–24) | 11 | Stone, cob-type; sediments, cob-type |
| Unit 2, 361a, 10–20/B | NA | 15 (12–20) | 3 | Stone, cob-type; sediments, NA | ||
| Unit 2, 362a, 20–30/B | NA | 17 (10–22) | 8 | Stone, cob-type; sediments, NA | ||
| Unit 2, 364a, 45/B | NA | 19 (12–24) | 3 | Stone, 0; sediments, NA | ||
| Unit 2, 365, 45–50/B | NA | 16 (10–22) | 2 | Stone, RT; sediments, NA | ||
| Unit 2, 365a, 49/C | 0 | 16 (10–28) | 24 | Stone, cob-type; sediments, 0 | ||
| Unit 2, 365c, 51/C | NA | 0 | Stone, 0; sediments, 0 | |||
| Unit 2, 365b, 54/C | 0 | 14 (10–18) | 5 | Stone, 0; sediments, 0 | ||
| Unit 2, 366a, 57/C | 67 | 1 | 15 (12–18) | 2 | Stone, 0; sediments, 0 | |
| Unit 2, 367, 55–60/C | 0 | Stone, 0; sediments, NA | ||||
| Unit 2, 367a, 63/D | 0 | 12 (10–14) | 9 | Stone, 0; sediments, RT + cob-type | ||
| Unit 2, 368a, 63/D | 0 | 20 (12–28) | 3 | Stone, 0; sediments, 0 | ||
| Chipped stone | ||||||
| Unit 1, 308a, 20–25/B | NA | 14 | 1 | NA | ||
| Unit 1, 322a, 85–90/E | NA | 17 (16–18) | 4 | NA | ||
| Unit 2, 370, 70–75/E | NA | 17 (12–24) | 8 | NA |
NA, phytolith or starch grain studies were not carried out; WT, wavy-top rondel; RT, ruffle-top rondel. Sample numbers in the ″Grinding stones and associated sediments″ section include grinding stones, all Cucurbita phytoliths retrieved from the sediments associated with each stone, and all starch grains derived from the stones themselves. All samples in the ″Column sample″ section are sediments. In the ″Number of Cucurbita phytoliths measured″ column, the first number is the number of samples measured for length, and the second number is the number of samples measured for thickness. In the ″Maize cob phytoliths″ column, sediments refer to those sampled from the immediate vicinity of the grinding stones. All starch grains exhibited the characteristic extinction crosses under cross-polarized light. Cross-shaped phytoliths typical of maize leaves occurred in low numbers (e.g., < 10 observed on scans of entire slides) in some preceramic and ceramic levels. Sample sizes were not sufficient for robust size and statistical analysis.