Posted on 11/02/2014 7:31:10 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Liyangan archaeological site on the slope of Mount Sindoro in Temanggung regency, Central Java, has again proven its position as home to one of main archeological findings in Indonesia after archeologists from the Yogyakarta Archeology Agency found the fossilized remnants of staple foods, comprising maize and rice, still inside a bamboo basket at the site.
The archeologists said the finding indicated that Indonesia had long been part of an international agriculture network because maize was not endemic to Java and at the site they had also found many artifacts from other countries, especially China.
Head of the Yogyakarta Archeology Agency, Siswanto, said the findings proved that agricultural produce had been one of the primary commodities traded between Indonesia and its trade partners.
“The finding is also crucial to help us trace the history of food cultivation and technology in Indonesia, especially in Java,” said Siswanto, who spoke during the opening of the 2014 General Soedirman University (Unsoed) Fair in Purwokerto, recently.
During the excavation, the archeologists reportedly found fossilized maize and grains of rice in Liyangan, Purbosari village, Ngadirejo district, which is located 7.5 kilometers from the peak of Mt. Sindoro.
It was believed that the fossilized staple food grew between the eighth and tenth centuries, during the era of the ancient Mataram kingdom.
Siswanto said the excavation took place on a plot of land approximately one hectare in size. At the location, the archeologists also unearthed a temple and 40 ancient Chinese vases dating back to the Tang Dynasty.
Liyangan is a residential settlement in Temanggung at which archeologists had previously found many important archeological objects.
An earlier team of archeologists had also found fossilized grains of rice, indicating that food security in Java was well-managed during that time.
(Excerpt) Read more at thejakartapost.com ...
cool
Jan Carl, from the comments section:
> Maize originates from the selection of teosinte varieties by Central American farmers centuries ago. The maize plant as we know it today has undergone further selection since the time it was “discovered” by the Spaniards who colonized Central America. It is highly unlikely that the grains found by Indonesians archaeologists in Java were maize (unless its origin was very recent), and it is also unlikely that the material found (whatever it is) was “fossilized”.
An amaizeing find
You call it corn.
The word ‘maize’ might be a translation error, or its use there is not the same as in America. The original may have indicated the more generic ‘corn’?
Showing your age, grasshopper, lol
Aw crap. They had EBT cards, and no grocery-store-deserts, even back then.
I’ll GET you for that one.
mmm...
Are there any other records of maize/corn outside of the Americas from over 1000 years ago?
Maybe they found a fossilized Iphone among the maize.
Teosinte is hypothesized because it is the closest plant to corn genetically. There is no actual connection demonstrated, no intermediate plants.
It referenced teosinte so, while corn/maize probably did not actually derive from teosinte, Teosinte is found only in Central America and is the acceptable precursor for corn/maize because nothing else has been found. So the finders believe that the maize in derives from Central Americ.
I did not see teosinte referenced in the linked article.
Corn being grown in Asia during pre-Columbian times would seem to be a really big discovery.
LOL. As are you.
Maize? I thought maize was a new world food. Who knew?
bump for later
Although technically “fossilized” merely refers to something dug up in a state of preservation, the reference to maize does seem odd.
I think you’re right... a translation error.
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