Ancient Domestication of the Four Corners Potato: Archaeology, Sex, and Genetics

On Tuesday, November 7, 2023, Lisbeth Louderback (NHMU Archaeobotany Lab; Natural History Museum of Utah; University of Utah) will discuss “Ancient Domestication of the Four Corners Potato: Archaeology, Sex, and Genetics.” The memories of Diné and Hopi elders reveal the Four Corners potato (Solanum jamesii) to be an ancient food and lifeway medicine, once collected from the wild and grown in now faded gardens, diminished over the last century by drought and displaced by potatoes from elsewhere. We will present the latest evidence gathered during a 10-year, collaborative study that addresses use, transport, and manipulation by ancient people. Mating experiments, genetic sequencing and food remnants on manos and metates have revealed a convincing story of this fascinating plant species.