"Roots of New World farming get deeper"

"Cultivation in the Americas began almost as early a sin Mideast."

By Randolph E. Schmid, Associated Press, via San Antonio EXPRESS - NEWS, Friday, June 29, 2007.

"WASHINGTON -- Agricultural was taking root in South America almost as early as the first farmers were breaking ground in the Middle East, new research indicates.

"Evidence that squash was being grown nearly 10,000 years ago, in what is now Peru, is being reported in today's edition of the journal Science.

"A team led by anthropologist Tom Dillehay of Vanderbilt University also uncovered remains of peanuts from 7,600 years ago and cotton dated to 5,500 years ago in the floors and hearths of sites in the Nanchoc Valley of Northern Peru."

TOM DILLEHAY:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Dillehay

"People made different choices in how to procure their food as plant and animal availability was changing, an din many places farming was a very good choice." Quote from DOLORES PIPERNO, curator of archaeobotany at the Smithsonian.

DOLORES PIPERNO:

www.nmnh.si.edu/anthro/archaeobio/piperno.htm

Good read !!