"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
...
> I'm reading a fabulous book "1491" by Charles Mann.... there is a
> statement
> that maize will not propagate without human intervention. Further, there
> is
> no genetic antecedent which makes one a believer in Divine Intervention.
>
> Add to this, that maize is really not a full nutrient unless treated with
> lie overnight? And who would have had that doctor in chemistry some 6,000
> years ago when maize gave birth to the Olmec and Tlatilco cultures?
>
> Wayne... forever in quest of the Garden of Eden in the Americas and why it
> was lost. (not to mention a good taco!)
>


Wayne, You did not tell us what the challenge is?

Are these posts to encourage debate or just rhetorical? Mann's 1491 is an
interesting read but I did not find any dynamic revelations that have not
been touched on before.

Aside from the Doctor in Chem comment, two omments you make are puzzling as
to what you mean ?
1) "Further, there is no genetic antecedent which makes one a believer
in Divine Intervention". Is this a matter of puncuation or are you saying
a
diety started the crop?
2) "I can see an advantage of an inpenetrable husk. Ancient Sumarians
had to store their grain in clay pots. No clay pots needed with maize!"
Where did
they store the corn, how did they keep the rodents out but most
specifically how did the pre-iron folks nixtamale it if they didn't use a
clay pot? Understand the importance of the transition from baskets to clay
pottery in an early society lifecycle.

BTW, Add lye (as opposed to lie) to your spell checker but I bet the Maya
alkaline solution (Cal) for the Nixtamal process was probably accomplished
more with the good old limestone the Yucatan is built on and less on wood
ash as in the more northern regions where limestone and caliche is not as
prevelent. Once again I say go see Rolly's website, I seem to recall him
having something in the house building section on lime and tamales. Kinda
strange combo, cement and tortillas, huh? ( If you read this Rolly, another
good topic would be to get Herbal/Medicinal remedies in your area
documented) . Wayne, I am sure you have read on Pellagra and how there are
Mexican, Central and South American communities suffereing from this.
Europeans learned this the hard way and perhaps why 90 percent of the
world's corn is being fed to livestoc, was anyway. The Three Sisters( Corn,
Beans and Squash) helped the nutrition base in early Indiginous American
life but were not the panacea you may seek as the centerpiece in your Garden
of Eden.