Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia

Objectives Early colonial documents from central Mesoamerica detail raising and planting of European livestock and crops alongside native ones. The extent to which Indigenous people, especially of the rural commoner class, consumed newly introduced foods is less known. This gap in knowledge is addressed through stable isotope analysis and comparison to published archaeological botanical, human, and faunal data. Materials and Methods Stable isotope analysis of bone collagen and bioapatite is applied to 74 skeletal samples of Indigenous human remains representing Colonial period individuals from El Japón—a farming hamlet in the Xochimilco area—to provide insight into long‐term individual dietary practices in the context of a rapidly transforming Mesoamerican world. Results Carbon isotope ratios in collagen ( δ ¹³ C collagen ) average −8.1 ⁰ / 00 VPDB (SD 0.55), while δ ¹⁵ N averages 8.9 ⁰ / 00 AIR (SD 0.50). δ ¹³ C bioapatite averages −2.9 ⁰ / 00 VPDB (SD 0.60). Modest increase in carbon isotopic diversity is observed among more recent males from El Japón when compared to earlier males and females. Discussion Based on the isotopic results, it is estimated that the individuals of El Japón consumed maize or other C 4 plants as a central source of carbohydrates. Dietary protein was largely supplied through domestic maize‐fed fauna but potentially supplemented by wild terrestrial and aquatic fauna and fowl. Similarity in skeletal isotopic composition between precontact Mesoamericans from other sites and El Japón individuals of both earlier and later stratigraphy is interpreted as continuity in local diets and foodways despite potentially available European alternatives. Colonial taxation demands on preexisting agricultural regimes may have incentivized maize production, thus indirectly contributing to the maize‐centered aspect of local foodways.

The Caribbean & Mesoamerica Biogeochemical Isotope Overview (CAMBIO) is an archaeological data community designed to integrate published biogeochemical data from the Caribbean, Mesoamerica, and southern Central America to address questions about dynamic interactions among humans, animals, and the environment in the region over the past 10,000 years. Here we present the CAMBIO human dataset, which consists of more than 16,000 isotopic measurements from human skeletal tissue samples (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, δ³⁴S, δ¹⁸O, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, 206/204Pb, 207/204Pb, 208/204Pb, 207/206Pb) from 290 archaeological sites dating between 7000 BC to modern times. The open-access dataset also includes detailed chronological, contextual, and laboratory/sample preparation information for each measurement. The collated data are deposited on the open-access CAMBIO data community via the Pandora Initiative data platform (https://pandoradata.earth/organization/cambio).

In Mexico, shamans are recognized for the gift of entering a deep trance that allows them to know the origin of the diseases and conflicts that afflict people. They commonly treat patients through limpias (cleansing) to extract negative elements sent by a witch or that were “collected” in places that harbor “evil winds.” We present a case study of an 81-year-old Mexican shaman who noticed her gift in childhood. Electroencephalographic recordings were made while the shaman performed three activities: reading cards to diagnose a patient and answer the questions he posed; limpia with chicken eggs, stones, and bells to absorb adverse “things”; and the incorporation trance through which the deceased is believed to occupy the shaman’s body to use it as a communication channel. Alpha activity was observed when concentrated, suggesting a hypnagogic-like state. Predominant beta and gamma oscillations were observed, suggesting a potential plastic phenomenon that modulates the assimilation of external and internal referents guiding temporal schemes for action, attention, and the integration of mnemonic, sensory, and imaginative elements. We used a neuroanthropological approach to understand shamanic trance as a biological potential of the human brain to induce non-ordinary states of consciousness linked to cultural beliefs and practices.

In humans, the growth pattern of the acellular extrinsic fibre cementum (AEFC) has been useful to estimate the age-at-death. However, the structural organization behind such a pattern remains poorly understood. In this study tooth cementum from seven individuals from a Mexican modern skeletal series were analyzed with the aim of unveiling the AEFC collagenous and mineral structure using multimodal imaging approaches. The organization of collagen fibres was first determined using: light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron tomography, and plasma FIB scanning electron microscopy (PFIB-SEM) tomography. The mineral properties were then investigated using: synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) for T-parameter (correlation length between mineral particles); synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) for L-parameter (mineral crystalline domain size estimation), alignment parameter (crystals preferred orientation) and lattice parameters a and c; as well as synchrotron X-ray fluorescence for spatial distribution of calcium, phosphorus and zinc. Results show that Sharpey’s fibres branched out fibres that cover and uncover other collagen bundles forming aligned arched structures that are joined by these same fibres but in a parallel fashion. The parallel fibres are not set as a continuum on the same plane and when they are superimposed project the AEFC incremental lines due to the collagen birefringence. The orientation of the apatite crystallites is subject to the arrangement of the collagen fibres, and the obtained parameter values along with the elemental distribution maps, revealed this mineral tissue as relatively homogeneous. Therefore, no intrinsic characteristics of the mineral phase could be associated with the alternating AEFC incremental pattern.

Aim Due to its complex biogeographical and ecological history, the seasonally dry forests (SDF) of Mesoamerica are considered a biodiversity hotspot. SDF are currently distributed in relatively large and continuous, but isolated areas, in which there are both high total and endemic species numbers. Among birds, few species are shared across SDF patches; other species are endemic to one of these; and for two species currently endemic to one patch, fossils have been recovered in a different one, suggesting a former widespread distribution in some species, implying that current distributional patterns are probably recent. Location Mesoamerican seasonally dry forests. Methods We assessed the role of niche divergence/conservatism in the evolution of bird distributional patterns. Using an ecological niche modelling approach, we estimated palaeodistributions for two species currently endemic to the SDF of Yucatan Peninsula (YP), two to the Mesoamerican Pacific Slope (MPS) with fossil record in the YP and two more showing an allopatric pattern. For comparison, we simulated virtual species (VS) matching each pattern, assuming they represent the expected distribution of species in each SDF patch. To test hypothesis of niche conservatism, we assessed the niche equivalence/similarity between the patches represented by the VS, and in each bird species and its VS distributional counterpart. Results Our results showed three patterns: (i) no past geographical connectiveness among suitable areas; (ii) niche conservatism, but not equivalence, despite low niche overlap and geographical distance; and (iii) potential niche divergence. Main Conclusions For birds currently endemic to the MPS, our results suggest that the absence from the YP may be attributed to the loss of their environmental niche. Widespread species showed either niche conservatism or divergence. YP endemics showed niche divergence. Our results underline the role of niche divergence/conservatism in the evolution of distributional patterns in Mesoamerican SDF avifauna.

Objectives: Determine the geographic place of origin and maternal lineage of prehistoric human skeletal remains discovered in Puyil Cave, Tabasco State, Mexico, located in a region currently populated by Olmec, Zoque and Maya populations. Materials and Methods: All specimens were radiocarbon (14C) dated (beta analytic), had dental modifications classified, and had an analysis of thirteen homologous reference points conducted to evaluate artificial cranial deformation (ACD). Following DNA purification, hypervariable region I (HVR-1) of the mitogenome was amplified and Sanger sequenced. Finally, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) was performed for total DNA. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants and haplogroups were determined using BioEdit 7.2 and IGV software and confirmed with MITOMASTER and WebHome softwares. Results: Radiocarbon dating (14C) demonstrated that the inhabitants of Puyil Cave lived during the Archaic and Classic Periods, and displayed tabular oblique and tabular mimetic ACD. These pre-Hispanic remains exhibited five mtDNA lineages: A, A2, C1, C1c and D4. Network analysis revealed a close genetic affinity between pre-Hispanic Puyil Cave inhabitants and contemporary Maya subpopulations from Mexico and Guatemala, as well as individuals from Bolivia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and China. Conclusions: Our results elucidate the dispersal of pre-Hispanic Olmec and Maya ancestors and suggest that ACD practices are closely related to Olmec and Maya practices. Additionally, we conclude that ACD has likely been practiced in the region since the Middle-Archaic Period.

Background Little is known about the companion animals which tested positive in Mexico for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Due to this, it is that we have documented the infection of companion animals, via an exploratory approach in two localities of the Valley of Mexico, in which the companion animal owners tested positive for COVID-19. Methods Oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 21 companion animals. Also, a Reverse-Transcription Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction was used to test five probes in three SARS-CoV-2 genes. More than one-third (5/14) of these samples were positive for SARS CoV-2 corresponding to dogs. Results This research translates into the first available report on companion animals with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the most populated area of Mexico. Samples were added chronologically to previous reports prepared in other areas of the country, from February through November 2022. Conclusion Although SARS-CoV-2 infection in dogs is not as common as in other animals, our results suggest that it can be transmitted to dogs by their owners to a greater extent than previously reported.

This work presents an analysis towards a description of the manufacturing technique of the Olmec rubber balls found at the offerings at El Manatí. The results present this procedure from the extraction of the Mesoamerican rubber from the Castilla elastica tree, discussing its composition and origin of the rubber balls analyzed towards the production of strips that are rolled to make the ball round form. This characterization was achieved through a series of imaging techniques (radiography imaging, UV-induced fluorescence imaging, and optical microscopy) and portable non-destructive and non-invasive analyses (XRF and FTIR) performed on the collection of archaeological rubber balls and compared with contemporary made rubber balls in the region near El Manatí. The methodology was complemented with laboratory chemical analytical techniques (¹³C NMR-MAS, FTIR, CEA, and GC-MS) applied to selected Olmec rubber microsamples. The new physical and chemical data obtained was also interpreted considering conservation science, to help understand the alterations and transformation processes that the balls have undergone since their recovery in the 1980s.

Sounds produced by humans and their environment are perceived and codified based on people's experiences as members of social groups, resulting in some sounds being used as means of communication. In this article, we present an archaeoacoustic study of diverse types of instruments excavated or collected from Comalcalco and Jonuta, two important pre-Hispanic Maya sites located in the modern state of Tabasco (Mexico). We propose a methodology to analyze organological and acoustic characteristics for each type of instrument, considering their relevant archaeological information, so as to provide some interpretations of how sounds could have been materialized, shared, and used in specific moments of Maya ritual and daily life.

El presente artículo busca enmarcar la obra The World of the Oxus Civilization, editada por Bertille Lyonnet y Nadezhda Dubova, en el contexto del redescubrimiento de las antiguas civilizaciones de Asia Central, así como reseñarla y valorarla. Se trata de la primera monografía que abarca, desde una perspectiva global, la conocida como civilización del Oxus o complejo arqueológico Bactria-Margiana, una de las últimas grandes culturas en haber sido redescubiertas. Una vez ubicada la obra en relación con la historiografía de la arqueología de Asia Central, se informa del evento en el que se presentó el libro en México y se tiende un puente con la arqueología nacional.

Yeasts are a diverse group of fungal microorganisms that are widely used to produce fermented foods and beverages. In Mexico, open fermentations are used to obtain spirits from agave plants. Despite the prevalence of this traditional practice throughout the country, yeasts have only been isolated and studied from a limited number of distilleries. To systematically describe the diversity of yeast species from open agave fermentations, here we generate the YMX‐1.0 culture collection by isolating 4524 strains from 68 sites with diverse climatic, geographical, and biological contexts. We used MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry for taxonomic classification and validated a subset of the strains by ITS and D1/D2 sequencing, which also revealed two potential novel species of Saccharomycetales. Overall, the composition of yeast communities was weakly associated with local variables and types of climate, yet a core set of six species was consistently isolated from most producing regions. To explore the intraspecific variation of the yeasts from agave fermentations, we sequenced the genomes of four isolates of the nonconventional yeast Kazachstania humilis. The genomes of these four strains were substantially distinct from a European isolate of the same species, suggesting that they may belong to different populations. Our work contributes to the understanding and conservation of an open fermentation system of great cultural and economic importance, providing a valuable resource to study the biology and genetic diversity of microorganisms living at the interface of natural and human‐associated environments.

Las comunidades wixaritari o huicholes de la Sierra Madre Occidental de México tienen una larga tradición de defender una organización política propia y una autonomía de facto en relación con el estado. En este ensayo, presento un breve análisis de su sistema político-ritual y argumento que los wixaritari pueden entenderse como una sociedad compleja contra el estado. La organización política-ritual no solamente reproduce un sistema de autoridad tradicional, sino también lo cuestiona permanentemente. También reproduce un mundo ontológicamente complejo de “partes sin un todo” que es imposible de gobernar.

Se presenta una descripci.n contrastiva de las adposiciones del amuzgo, mazahua y mazateco (familia otomangue). En particular, se discute la categorización gramatical de las adposiciones, así como la etiqueta ‘adjunto’. Se destaca que los adjuntos son unidades sintácticas de diferentes clases, por lo que están en capacidad de compartir propiedades con los argumentos centrales, ampliar el sentido del predicado y formar parte del evento. La propuesta se basa en reconocer tres tipos de frases adpositivas: las no predicativas, las predicativas y las especificativas, las cuales evidencian propiedades gramaticales propias. Con lo anterior se observa que la categoría gramatical ‘adposición’ cubre los diferentes niveles de análisis de la lengua al estar en varias capas de la cláusula. Morfológicamente se detecta una inestabilidad en los sistemas de estudio porque varían las realizaciones de las adposiciones: en algunos casos se realizan como morfemas ligados y en otros, como morfemas libres. En cuanto a su sintaxis se concluye que las adposiciones revisadas codifican la naturaleza semántica de los papeles temáticos que se realizan como argumentos-adjuntos. Semánticamente, las adposiciones presentan restricciones en cuanto a roles temáticos, tienen alcance sobre el predicado y sus argumentos, o bien, solo sobre el predicado. A nivel de la cláusula, marcan caso como resultado de la rección del predicado matriz, esto en verbos intransitivos, transitivos o ditransitivos.

Before the colonial period, California harboured more language variation than all of Europe, and linguistic and archaeological analyses have led to many hypotheses to explain this diversity¹. We report genome-wide data from 79 ancient individuals from California and 40 ancient individuals from Northern Mexico dating to 7,400–200 years before present (bp). Our analyses document long-term genetic continuity between people living on the Northern Channel Islands of California and the adjacent Santa Barbara mainland coast from 7,400 years bp to modern Chumash groups represented by individuals who lived around 200 years bp. The distinctive genetic lineages that characterize present-day and ancient people from Northwest Mexico increased in frequency in Southern and Central California by 5,200 years bp, providing evidence for northward migrations that are candidates for spreading Uto-Aztecan languages before the dispersal of maize agriculture from Mexico2–4. Individuals from Baja California share more alleles with the earliest individual from Central California in the dataset than with later individuals from Central California, potentially reflecting an earlier linguistic substrate, whose impact on local ancestry was diluted by later migrations from inland regions1,5. After 1,600 years bp, ancient individuals from the Channel Islands lived in communities with effective sizes similar to those in pre-agricultural Caribbean and Patagonia, and smaller than those on the California mainland and in sampled regions of Mexico.

A detailed magnetic mineralogy and archaeomagnetic study was carried out on recently discovered domestic hearths and burned floors at the Chak Pet archaeological settlement (Tamaulipas, Mexico). The study aimed to obtain reliable absolute chronological constraints on the early development of Huastecs during the Formative period. Oriented hand samples corresponded to four domestic hearths and one burned floor. Continuous thermomagnetic curves revealed mostly irreversible behavior, while titanomagnetites, titanomaghemites, and goethites are assumed to carry the remanent magnetization. In total, 87 specimens were subjected to stepwise demagnetization of natural remanent magnetization using an alternating field procedure. Characteristic remanent magnetization directions were obtained for 29 samples of two hearths and one burned floor. No single, technically acceptable paleointensity determination was obtained. The new archaeomagnetic age intervals for Chak Pet allow locating the origin of this settlement at the Gulf of Mexico within the Middle Formative (900–600 BCE) continuing until the Late Formative period (350–100 BCE). New archaeomagnetic ages are in accordance with the diagnostic pottery analysis. Dated archaeological elements are associated with both ceramic types and different sets of burials, providing a reliable tool to calibrate their chronological and stratigraphic positions.

The archaeological site of Tingambato is one of the few evidences of the populations that settled in western Mexico during the Classic and Postclassic periods, before the development of the great Tarascan empire. Therefore, its study is fundamental to know both the characteristics of the culture that preceded the empire, as well as the phenomena that led to its formation. During the last decade, efforts have increased to reveal the history of this site. Thanks to the recent excavations, different archaeological materials belonging to the three construction phases of the place are available, which have served to define their main characteristics. In the present investigation, the magnetic characterization and dating of different archaeological materials belonging to the last occupational stage of Tingambato were carried out using archaeomagnetic methods. Some of these materials show evidence of exposure to fire after their elaboration. According to archaeological investigations, the ancient city of Tingambato was burned before being abandoned, so the ages obtained for four of the analyzed potsherds represent the first available dating for the abandonment of the site. Finally, these ages allow us to propose interpretations about the probable causes that led to its abandonment.