Question

What were the earliest crops to be domesticated in the Americas? Where and approximately when were they domesticated, what were they used for, and why would they have appealed to the people of that time and region?

Answer 1

Corn, potatoes, and cassava were the earliest crops to be domesticated in the Americas, providing a reliable and abundant food source for sedentary agricultural communities.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the Americas, the earliest crops to be domesticated were corn (maize), potatoes, and cassava. Corn was domesticated between 5000 and 3000 BCE in Mesoamerica, specifically in the Tehuacán Valley and the highlands of Oaxaca. It became an important staple carbohydrate and led to the rise of large populations in the region. Potatoes were grown in Peru around 7000 years ago. Cassava, also known as manioc, was domesticated in South America, likely in the Amazon basin. These crops would have appealed to the people of that time and region because they provided a reliable and abundant food source, allowing for the development of sedentary agricultural communities.