On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 14:05:35 GMT, (Doug Miller)
wrote:

In article , "George" george@least wrote:

They were certainly protein-limited by their lack of domesticated animals.
Makes you think about the role of nutrition in civilization in a whole new
light, and the role of domestication in providing nutrition as well as a way
to haul it to storage.

I've read more than one case for the collapse of the Maya based on
nutrition. The cultivation they seem to have had down pretty well, with the
same sort of mound and ditch found elsewhere, but of course they didn't have
the variety of protein in their diet to remain free of disease without some
meat.

It is fairly well documented (now) that Mayan culture was a victim of
nothing more exotic than bad weather, ie. draught, which was some 7-12
years long and destroyed their agriculture base so they basically
starved to death. Up until that time they subsisted quite nicely on a
maize diet with fish. Not to mention a little coca enema from time to
time for the priesthood!

Didn't help them when the canals dried up, though.

BTW, no Pre-Columbian society used the potter's wheel. All known
ceramics were formed by coiling, hand-molding or shaping around
basketry forms then burning out the basket. This includes vessels,
figurines and smoking pipes.


--
Chuck *#:^)
chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
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September 11, 2001 - Never Forget