ABSTRACT
The Archaic period in Mesoamerica encompasses some 6000 years. The geneticist Nikolai Vavilov, focusing on one aspect of the transition plant domestication was responsible for crystallizing this idea in his maps proposing certain primary or pristine centers of agricultural origins. Archaeologists began to notice Archaic occupations in the lowlands as early as in the highlands, but few followed up on survey, limited test pitting, and opportunistic collection of artifacts exposed by erosion or development, with extended excavation seasons and in-depth analysis. In the meantime, genetic and biogeographic research had revolutionized the understanding of the phylogeny of maize and its closest relatives, forcing reconsideration of the likely chronology, location, and cultural context of its domestication and racial diversification. The study of the Mesoamerican Archaic has never been a crowded field and is unlikely to become one any time soon, but its theoretical allure has not diminished over the years.
