Late Holocene Maize Diversity and Cultural Remains from the Northern Neotropics: The Site of Cueva La Capilla, Venezuelan Andes

In the northern neotropics, given poor preservation of macro-fossils and funding/research biases, our understanding of ancient cultures’ dynamics is limited. Here, we document the botanical and cultural remains at an early ceramic archaeological site, Cueva La Capilla, northeast of the Venezuelan Andes, which contains funerary remains linked to the Tocuyanoid ceramic tradition, as well as maize rachises. We employ a multidisciplinary approach to study the diversity of the maize remains—including radiocarbon dating and ancient DNA—and show that the maize rachises, here radiocarbon-dated to the terminal Tocuyanoid at AD 395–460, present diverse morphologies, suggesting the simultaneous use of different maize varieties. We also find evidence of plants pertaining to different environments, suggesting long-distance trade or heterogeneous cultivations. The DNA analysis of a masticated maize stem confirms human action, revealing new insights into the Tocuyanoid cultural development and resource management.