Final answer:
Bottle gourds were cultivated in America by indigenous peoples by around 5000 BCE, particularly in the Eastern Woodlands. Their cultivation and use as containers spread through migration and trade, becoming integral to the Mississippian tradition and regional cultures well before European arrival.
Step-by-step explanation:
The arrival of bottle gourds in America predates European contact and is deeply intertwined with the ancient practices of indigenous peoples. Bottle gourds along with other crops such as maize, beans, and squash were cultivated in the Americas for their utility and nutritional value. By 5000 BCE there is evidence that the cultivation of bottle gourds may have been underway in the Eastern Woodlands. It is believed that this cultivation emerged independently within the region.
The domestication and agricultural practices spread throughout the Americas via migration and trade routes, allowing various indigenous cultures to propagate plants like bottle gourds well before the Europeans arrived. By the time of the Mississippian tradition around 800 CE agriculture had become more widespread, and maize, along with other crops such as bottle gourds, played a significant role in the diet and culture of the people in that region.