c.

c. AD 1000 – 1500: Starch grain analysis of human dental calculus has provided revolutionary new insights into the consumption of maize and other food plants in the pre-Columbian Caribbean. Research by H.L. Mickleburgh and J.R. Pagán-Jiménez confirms that maize was a far more significant component of the indigenous diet than previously recognized through macro-botanical remains alone. This microscopic evidence allows researchers to reconstruct specific dietary habits and the diversity of plants managed by different island communities. Understanding these foodways is essential for mapping the agricultural intensification that supported Late Ceramic Age chiefdoms.