Microfossil starch provides the first evidence for introduced taro (Colocasia esculenta) on the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, commencing c. 1800 cal. BP

Abstract

Introduced taro (Colocasia esculenta) is assumed to have been ubiquitous in pre-contact societies across Oceania. However, there are few reports of direct, botanical evidence for its presence in Micronesia during this time. Here we report starch analysis of soil/sediment samples from Ebon Atoll in the Marshall Islands, eastern Micronesia. Starch grains, xylem cells, and calcium oxalate crystals of cf. taro were found at three sites, in habitation layers encompassing the period 1875-1715 cal. BP to 1060-920 cal. BP (95% CI). This study represents the first direct, botanical evidence for pre-European taro in the Marshall Islands, adding another archipelago to the scant list of such Micronesian sites, thus highlighting the importance of palaeo-ethnobotany in Micronesia.

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