Analysis of starch grains trapped in human dental calculus in Áspero, Peru during the Initial Formative Period (3000–1800 BCE)

A groundbreaking analysis of starch grains trapped in human dental calculus from Áspero, Peru, during the Initial Formative Period (3000–1800 BCE), reveals that sweet potato, squash, and maize were prominent dietary components, with 100% ubiquity for sweet potato and maize, and 90% for squash. This challenges previous isotopic analysis suggesting maize was a marginal food, highlighting the complexity of inferring plant consumption frequency from starch grain abundance. The study, which also includes data from an individual in the Sacred City of Caral, underscores the importance of multi-proxy approaches to understanding ancient diets.

Yseki, M., Pezo-Lanfranco, L., Machacuay, M., Novoa, P., & Shady, R. (2023). Analysis of starch grains trapped in human dental calculus in Áspero, Peru during the Initial Formative Period (3000–1800 BCE). Scientific Reports, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41015-6