The origins and early development of plant food production and farming in Colombian tropical forests

This paper concentrates on archaeobotanical evidence for the adoption of plant cultivation in the forests in seven regions of Colombia. We present a synthesis and explanation of the evidence we currently have for the process that involved the adoption of plant cultivation and the development of food production in this area. The use of locally available plant foods in these forests is evident by the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. By the Middle Holocene, exogenous plant domesticates were added, including maize, manioc, and possibly common beans. We further explore available data on other proxies to discuss models to explain the transition from hunting and gathering to horticulture.