Mesa de Guaje 1200-400 B.C. 
Guerra 1850-1200 B.C. 
Flacco 2350-1850 B.C. 
The Specimens 
The maize specimens from only one of the three caves, 
Romero’s, have been analyzed in detail but an early cob 
from the Flacco phase of Valenzuela’s Cave has been 
included in the analysis as well as several specimens of 
teosinte and T'ripsacum. 
The collection of prehistoric remains of maize and its 
relatives described here comprises 12,014 specimens and 
includes virtually all parts of the plant: pieces of stalk, 
leaves, husks, cobs and cob fragments, tassel and tassel 
branches. There are a large number of quids of chewed 
stalks, young ears, and tassels as well as several speci- 
mens of teosinte and 7?7psacum. A brief description of 
the remains in the several categories follows. 
CLASSIFICATION OF THE Coss 
All of the intact cobs as well as those almost intact 
were classified on the basis of their resemblance to the 
existing races of corn in Mexico described by Wellhausen 
et al. (1952). Nine different races or subraces were iden- 
tified among the prehistoric cobs. Their relative fre- 
quency in terms of percentage of total cobs in the several 
levels of the cave is shown in Table I. 
The Chapalote Complex 
The great majority of the cobs, about two thirds of 
the total, were identified as belonging to the race Chap- 
alote or its precursors or derivatives. This race is found 
today only in western Mexico (Wellhausen et a/., 1952) 
but it was once much more widespread. The prehistoric 
wild corn uncovered in caves in the valley of Tehuacdn 
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