Analysis of starch grains trapped in human dental calculus in Áspero, Peru during the Initial Formative Period (3000–1800 BCE)

The objective of this research is to identify the plants consumed and to determine their dietary importance in Áspero, an urban center on the coast of the Supe Valley, Peru. Consequently, starch grains trapped in the human dental calculus of nine individuals were recovered, while the results from one individual from the Sacred City of Caral, located in the interior of Supe Valley, are presented. Eight species of food plants were identified, among them C ₃ plants: sweet potato, squash, potato, chili pepper, algarrobo, manioc and bean and C ₄ plant: maize. Previous isotopic analysis indicates that C ₃ plants formed the foundation of the diet at Áspero and Caral. Our results indicate a high ubiquity of C ₃ plants like sweet potato (100%) and squash (90%) suggesting, with caution, that these taxa were an important C ₃ source in the menu. Maize, C ₄ plant, showed a similar ubiquity (100%) to sweet potato and squash, however, previous isotopic analysis indicate that maize was a marginal food in Áspero and Caral. These results support that the absence and abundance of starch grains cannot be employed to directly infer the frequency of intake of C ₃ and C ₄ plants within a small population, as suggested by previous studies.