Scientists Discovered Potato Starch on 11,000-Year-Old Tools

Archaeologists from the National History Museum of Utah and botanist Bruce Pavlik of the University of Utah’s Red Butte Garden have recently detected potato starch.

As per the scientists, they have detected the potato starch on Utah's 11,000-Year-Old Tools.  Archaeologist Lisbeth Louderback analyzed residues obtained from ancient grinding tools found in southern Utah’s Escalante Valley.

As per the Salt Lake Tribune, the archaeologists have identified starch granules of Solanum jamesii, a wild potato species native to North America, on the 10,900-year-old metates and manos.

The scientists stated that these small nutritious tubers still grow primarily in the Four Corners region, where it is most abundant in the highlands of New Mexico. However, In Utah, Louderback and Pavlik noted that the plants only grow near archaeological sites.

The archaeologists also added that Genetic studies of Solanum jamesii were planned at the USDA Potato Genebank. This research can help to conclude if the Utah plants had been transported, manipulated, or domesticated by hunter-gatherers.

By: Ms. Priyanka Negi

Content: www.archaeology.org