Caribbean Deep-Time Culinary Worlds Revealed by Ancient Food Starches: Beyond the Dominant Narratives

Analysis of starch grains recovered from ancient human dental calculus provides unique insights into the spectrum of starchy plants that were available and consumed at different spatiotemporal scales. Applying this methodological approach to a dataset of dental calculus samples from 60 individuals from different Caribbean islands, we unfold new perspectives on the culinary practices from precolonial to colonial times in this region. Our phytocultural interpretations from the studied scenarios contrast with dominant historical and archaeological narratives of the Caribbean regarding the emergence and evolution of manioc-reliant plant food systems. Instead, our analysis strongly suggests that a diversity of plant-based culinary practices was in operation throughout the islands, and over time, the switching dietary role of maize and other important economic plants such as wild marunguey, manioc, bean, and sweet potato (among others) was the trademark of ancient Caribbean culinary scapes.