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Archeology of Mesoamerican Turkeys is an interdisciplinary study using archaeological, morphometric, isotopic and genetic data to understand the development of turkey breeding and domestication in ancient Mesoamerica.
Wild and Domestic Turkeys
The Mexican turkey (Meleagris gallopavo or northern turkey) is the only vertebrate animal that has been domesticated in ancient North America. However, compared to other domesticated animals in the world, we know relatively little about domestication of the turkey.
Although there are two species of turkey, and six subspecies, genetic analyzes confirm that the southern Mexican subspecies (M. gallopavo gallopavo), now extinct throughout its natural range, gave rise, a few thousand years ago, to the domestic turkeys bred today throughout the world.
Contacts
Dr. Erin Thornton
Washington State University erin.thornton@wsu.edu
Dr. Kitty F. Emery
Florida Museum of Natural History
kemery@flmnh.ufl.edu
The Mesoamerican Turkey Project uses genetic and morphometric data to identify which species and subspecies of turkeys were managed by Mesoamerican societies, and what genetic and morphological changes may have occurred throughout the domestication process.
We will reconstruct pre-Columbian breeding practices through the combination of morphometric and genetic evidence, osteological evidence indicating demographic profiles (age/sex), and stable isotope analysis to reconstruct the diets of the turkeys and thus distinguish individuals, hunted wild animals and individuals bred in captivity.
We will interpret our data taking into account the archaeological contexts where the turkey remains were found to reconstruct how wild and domestic turkeys served as subsistence, ritual and prestige goods, and how they were integrated into the broader Mesoamerican economy.
Previous Research
This research builds on previous collaborations led by Thornton, Emery, Speller, and Corona in Phase One. Our data set has allowed us to document:
Geographic Origins of Domestic Turkeys
a) Two different centers of turkey domestication: in Mesoamerica the modern-day domestic turkey on the one hand, and on the other hand another subspecies of turkey common in the southwestern United States. Genetic evidence indicates that only the Mexican turkey contributed to current populations
Timing of Trade and Diffusion to Maya Region
b) The very early diffusion of domestic turkeys in the Mayan area. Until recently, it was assumed that The ancient Maya had used only the native ocellated turkey before the introduction of the domesticated northern turkey in the Postclassic (1000-1500). d. C.). The identification of specimens of the northern turkey in deposits dating from the Late Preclassic (300 BC-100 AD) overturned this assumption.
Ocellated Turkey Management
c) The absence, in the archeology of the Mayan world, of evidence of domestication or captive breeding of ocellated turkeys. However, there is a possibility that they were attracted to the crops of the ancient Mayans.
The Objectives of the Second Phase:
Timing of Turkey Domestication
a) Document the distribution of the earliest zooarchaeological evidence of the domestication of the Mesoamerican turkey (Preclassic/Formative, 2000 BC-300 AD)
Process and Outcomes of Turkey Domestication
b) Use DNA, aDNA, osteomorphometry, and isotopic residues to identify how the history of domestication and breeding has influenced the genetic and physical composition of pre-Columbian (zooarchaeological remains) and current (historical museum remains and specimens) domestic turkey populations. of “backyard turkeys” or “Indian turkeys” from current markets)
Social and Economic Contexts of Turkey Domestication
c) Investigate the variability in the way wild and domestic turkeys were integrated into social and economic systems in ancient Mesoamerica.