[Paper] Identification of breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) and South American crops introduced during early settlement of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), as revealed through starch analysis

via PLOS One, 20 March 2024: A groundbreaking study using starch residue analysis on obsidian tools from Rapa Nui’s Anakena site, dated to AD 1000–1300, has revealed the earliest evidence of human settlement and agriculture on the island. This research uncovered the introduction of Polynesian staples like breadfruit, taro, and yam, alongside previously unrecorded South American crops such as sweet potato, achira, manioc, and others, marking a significant moment in the translocation of traditional crops during the island’s initial colonization.

Cultural use of obsidian artifacts that hold starch grains The number of starch grains found on each individual tool is small compared to the number of starch grains reported in other case studies [e.g. 89, 90]. However, most of these studies extracted starch grains from coarse-grained grinding or pounding stone tools, where the starch grains got trapped in cracks or crevices found on the surface of these tools. In our case, we were dealing with natural glass flakes with smooth surfaces and only some striat

Source: Identification of breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) and South American crops introduced during early settlement of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), as revealed through starch analysis | PLOS ONE