Artifacts, including ceramics, ground stone, and soil samples, as well as dental calculus, recovered from sites in the eastern North American central Plains were submitted to multiple laboratories for analysis of microbotanical remains. Direct accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) dates of 361–197 cal BC provide evidence for the earliest use of maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) in this region. Squash (Cucurbita sp.), wild rice (cf. Zizania spp.), and palm (Arecaceae sp.) microremains were also found. This research adds to the growing evidence of the importance of microbotanical analysis in documenting plant use and in the identification of early maize. The combined data on early maize from the eastern Plains adds to our understanding of the timing and dispersal of this crop out of the American Southwest. Alternative explanations for the adoption and early use of maize by eastern central Plains communities include its value as a secondary resource, as an addition to an existing farming strategy, or as a component of Middle Woodland rituals.

从北美中部平原东部的遗址中回收的人工制品，包括陶瓷、磨石和土壤样本以及牙结石，被提交给多个实验室进行微生物遗骸分析。公元前 361-197 年的直接加速器质谱仪 (AMS) 日期为该地区最早使用玉米 ( Zea mays ssp. mays ) 提供了证据。南瓜 ( Cucurbita sp.), 野生稻 (cf. Zizaniaspp.) 和棕榈 (Arecaceae sp.) 的微残留物也被发现。这项研究增加了越来越多的证据表明微生物分析在记录植物使用和鉴定早期玉米方面的重要性。来自东部平原的早期玉米的综合数据增加了我们对这种作物在美国西南部的时间和传播的理解。对中部平原东部社区采用和早期使用玉米的其他解释包括其作为次要资源的价值，作为现有农业战略的补充，或作为中部林地仪式的组成部分。