Hervir y moler: descifrando técnicas de elaboración de alimentos a través del análisis microscópico de los granos de almidón recolectados en contextos arqueológicos mesoamericanos
To Boil and to Grind: Deciphering the Ways in Which Food Was Prepared Th rough Starch Grain Analysis Collected from Mesoamerican Archaeological Contexts

Summary/Abstract: From an archaeological perspective, the recovery and analysis of grains of starch – microscopic granules produced by a large number of plants through which it is possible to identify the genus or species of a plant – allow to understand the use of plants in the past. In addition to determining the plant species that were consumed in the past, starch grains provide important clues to decipher the food processing techniques that were employed. This article offers a brief introduction regarding the biology of starch grains and the techniques used for their extraction from ancient artifacts. Here, I present some results of several Mesoamerican artifacts, artifacts – ceramics and grinding stones – and try to reconstruct the possible techniques used to elaborate food from a microscopic perspective.

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