Agriculture I

“Rich land, beautiful, fertile, well watered with fine fields along the rivers.” - Journal, Desoto Expedition 1540

Many centuries before the arrival of the Europeans, ancestors of the Creek people had migrated from the west and settled into a stable agrarian life in what is now the Southeastern United States.  While it is true that the Indians did eventually put to use new ideas and techniques brought by the Europeans, it should be pointed out that long before the introduction of metal tools, domesticated food animals and beasts of burden, Indian farming was thriving. Much to their credit, Indian farmers were successfully cultivating and domesticating wild plant foods with much improvement in quality and quantity. The Indians also had extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and their various uses and took advantage of abundant wild edible plants, fruits, berries, seeds and nuts.

In historical times, the primary crops were what many Indians refer to as the ‘three sisters’ -- corn, beans and squash -- planted together in a technique called ‘hilling.’ When grown together in one mound of soil, the corn serves as a support for the bean vines to grow up on. The large leaves of the low-growing squash plant discourage grass and weeds from growing on the hill.  So, a garden ‘row’ would be made up of many planted hills.

Of the seed crops developed by the ancients, the sunflower is the only one to be continuously grown for its oily seeds. The Creeks also cultivated a wide variety of other fruits, melons and vegetables such as tomatoes, okra and sweet potatoes. Corn was by far the most important crop. It was easily stored and adaptable for use in a wide variety of ways, both fresh and dried.  After the men had cleared land by girdling the trees and burning the underbrush, crops were planted in community fields and family gardens to be tended primarily by the women.  Household gardens were kept near the home. In addition every family had responsibility for designated portions of the community cornfields.  The work of planting and weeding was done by hand with tools such as hoes made of deer scapula bones with a handle attached and forked planting sticks. The work was hard, but one can well imagine in this community effort a festive atmosphere with much joking and laughter.

Agriculture II

Ask most anyone and they will tell you that agriculture in North America spread northward from origins in Mesoamerica and that the first foods cultivated by North American Native people was maize, beans and squash from Mexico. This commonly held belief fails to recognize an enormous contribution made by Native North Americans to the history of mankind.

Not only is this assumption incorrect, but recent research proves that eastern North America can be unequivocally identified as one of four major independent centers of plant domestication in the world; the other three being the Near East, China and Mesoamerica. In fact, researchers have found in eastern North America the clearest record available of agricultural origins anywhere in the world. By 2000 B.C. in the eastern Woodlands, Native people had domesticated at least four indigenous seed plants. Three additional wild plants began to appear as cultivated wild-food crops as well. These seven plants were chenopod, marsh elder, squash, sunflower, erect knotweed, little barley and may grass. All provided highly nutritious seeds which were prepared as boiled cereals, ground into flour or eaten directly.

Maize arrived from Mexico about A.D. 200 and in a form unlike the full ears we know today. It would not become a major food crop for some 600 years. As corn and beans gradually became major staples of the diet, cultivation of the older grains began to diminish. Eventually most returned to a wild state. There has long been a strong resistance to theories of independent plant domestication in North America for just this reason; there were no remaining common domesticated plants which could be linked genetically to known wild varieties.

Studies also show that the ancients were adept in managing their natural resources. Fire was used to eliminate weed seeds and enrich the soil of farmed lands. The Indians used fire and girdling to increase production of wild food plants and improve forage for animal management. For instance, to increase the production of edible nut and fruit trees, the Indians deliberately cleared the surrounding forest canopy. The first step in this process was to 'girdle' or strip off a ring of bark which would kill surrounding unwanted trees, and then underlying vegetation was kept down through regular controlled burning.

These practices were passed down through the centuries right into historical times. When the Europeans arrived, they just assumed that the abundant forests were pristine and natural. Little did they understand that the woodlands had been under human management for thousands of years. In fact, the vast pine forests of the southeast are now thought to be the result of human-initiated fire regimes. It has taken years of conscientious scientific work to piece together bits of this giant puzzle. But now, at long last, the agricultural achievements of our ancient southeastern ancestors have been proven.

For further details on the research process we suggest: "A Quiet Revolution: Origins of Agriculture in Eastern North America" by Ruth Selig and "Ancient Gardening in South Carolina" by Gail E. Wagner and Jamie Civitello.