maize that the South and Middle American civilizations 
were able to flourish. The widespread adaptation of maize 
agriculture resulted in a vital interdependence between 
this domesticated cereal and man. After domestication, 
maize could no longer subsist without the aid of man, and 
man himself relied more and more upon the product of 
this crop as his main source of food. This dependence on 
maize is still an outstanding characteristic of most of the 
Latin American countries today and of the Indian pop- 
ulations in particular. 
It is probable that the problem of maize storage arose 
with the beginning of maize agriculture. With an in- 
crease in population resulting from an initial food sur- 
plus, maize storage took on an even greater importance. 
As the culture increased in complexity, this problem 
took on a group as well as an individual significance. By 
the time of the Conquest of Mexico, attention was de- 
voted to the maize granaries by the rulers and priests, by 
the rich and the poor, by the craftsmen and the peasants. 
The tribal and family granaries represented a savings 
account which kept away disaster and maintained social 
vigor. Failure of the family granary meant slavery ; fail- 
ure of the tribal granaries meant social disintegration. 
However, in spite of extensive cultural similarities 
among the Indian populations of Mexico, the develop- 
ment of the storage structures have followed various 
lines. Diversification in granary types resulted from: a) 
differences in climate, b) differences in materials available 
for construction, ¢) special cultural traits of the society, 
and d) variations in the cultural level. 
Il. THe Propuem or MaIzZE STORAGE 
Maize became a dominant crop in the agricultural 
economy of the American civilizations because it pos- 
sessed the favorable characteristics generally found among 
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