Clarissa Cagnato

I'm an archaeobotanist working primarily in Central America and Mexico (Maya and Teotihuacan cultures). I use a range of plant remains (mainly seeds and starch grains) recovered in the archaeological record to reconstruct past diets and ritual practices. I am especially interested in the role of root crops (manioc, sweet potatoes) and other under-represented plants (chili peppers, tomato family taxa, weedy plants) in the diet of Mesoamerican societies.