Journal of Undergraduate Research
Keywords
ancient Maize, agriculture, Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guatemala, corn
College
Life Sciences
Department
Plant and Wildlife Sciences
Abstract
For the past two years, Richard Terry, his graduate students, Zachary Larsen and Jacob Horlacher have mentored twenty two undergraduate majors in Environmental Science in the collecting, preparation, and analysis of soil samples from the rural surroundings of ancient Maya cities in Guatemala and Mexico. Corn (called maize in Mesoamerica) has been very important to both the ancient and contemporary Maya. The Maya creation story as recorded in the Popol Vuh tells of the creation of man from the ground maize. Many of the Maya view themselves as “people of the maize”. The actions of planting the seeds, harvesting, preparation and even consumption of the maize are considered sacred rites.
Recommended Citation
Terry, Richard E.
(2015)
"Mentored student research in the Study of Ancient Maize Agriculture in Mesoamerica,"
Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2015:
Iss.
1, Article 254.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2015/iss1/254