Level 5 Maize 
The maize ears from the lowest stratum (Level 5), re- 
semble those of the race ‘‘Chapalote,’’ an ancient indi- 
genous race of Mexico described by Wellhausen ef al., 
1952, and the principal, if not the only race of the early 
cultures from this part of North America (Mangelsdorf 
and Lister, 1956). At Bat Cave, New Mexico, a primi- 
tive form of Chapalote remaining from an incipient cul- 
tivation tradition dates back to between 8500 and 2500 
B.C. (Mangelsdorf, 1954). Some of the prehistoric maize 
from coastal Peru (about 600 B.C.) may also have affini- 
ties with Chapalote (Grobman and Mangelsdorf, 1959). 
Identification of the original Cebollita maize as Chapa- 
lote was possible because most of the ears were perfectly 
preserved by a carbonization process resulting from in- 
complete combustion. The original Cebollita maize and 
Chapalote share the following characteristics. Their ears 
are cigar shaped, with aslight tapering at both base and 
tip. Prominent glumes may protrude between the ker- 
nels. Small, hard kernels are rounded on top and nearly 
isodiametric in length, width, and thickness. The vertical 
rows of these kernels, especially those of 10- and 14- 
rowed ears, have a strong tendency to twist. A relatively 
high row number in combination with a slender rachis, 
forces the cupule wings and paired kernels to interlock’ 
slightly with the lateral rows on either side. The inter- 
locking of cupule wings creates the illusion of broad cu- 
pules. The actual cupule width (5.5 mm.) is like the 
kernel width (6.0 mm. ) in being only about one-half that 
of other North American races such as the 8-rowed flour 
and flint types. 
A comparison of the actual values in Cebollita maize 
‘Interlocking of adjacent pairs of kernels, sometimes called tessela- 
tion, is also found ina primitive Peruvian race, Confite Morocho, and 
certain of its derivatives (Grobman, unpub. ). 
[ 168 ] 
