The breadnut tree (Brosimum alicastrum) is an important species of tree that grows in the wet and dry tropical forest of Mexico and Central America, as well as in the Caribbean Islands. Also known as the Ramón tree and Cha Kook in the Mayan language, the breadnut tree usually grows between 300 and 2000 meters above the sea level. The fruits have a small, elongated shape, similar to apricots, although they are not particularly sweet. The seeds are edible nuts and can be ground and used in porridge, or for flour.
The Breadnut Tree and the Maya
The breadnut tree is one of the dominant species of plants in the tropical Maya forest. Not only its density very high around ancient ruined cities, of the Guatemalan Petén, for example, but it can reach a height of around 130 ft, producing abundant yields and with several harvests possible in one year. For this reason it is often still planted by modern Maya near their homes.
The widespread presence of this tree nearby ancient Maya cities has been differently explained as:
- the result of a human-manicured, managed forest in which the ancient Maya first avoided to cut, then replanted breadnut trees near their habitations so that now it propagates more easily
- simply environmental reasons by which this tree grows well in limestone soils and rubble fill from ancient Maya ruins
- the result of the presence of small animals such as bats, squirrels and birds which eat the fruits and seeds and facilitate their dispersion in the forest
The Breadnut Tree and Maya Archaeology
The role of the breadnut tree and its importance in ancient Maya diet has been at the center of many debates. In the 1970s and 80s, archaeologist Dennis Puleston, whose unfortunate and untimely death prevented him to further deepen the topic, was the first to hypothesize the importance of this plant as staple crop for the ancient Maya. During his research at the site of Tikal, in Guatemala, he recorded a particularly high concentration of this tree around the house mounds compared to other species of trees. This element, along with the fact that the breadnut seeds are particularly nutritious and high in proteins, suggested to Puleston that the ancient inhabitants of Tikal, and by extension of other Maya cities in the forest, relied on this plant as much as or even more than on maize.
Furthermore, in subsequent studies Puleston demonstrated how its fruit can be stored for many months, for example in subterranean chambers called chultuns, in a climate where usually fruits grow rotten rapidly.
However, more recent research have significantly downsized the importance of breadnut in ancient Maya diet and confined it as an emergency food in case of famine, linking its unusual abundance near ancient Maya ruins to environmental factors more than human intervention.
Sources
This glossary entry is a part of the About.com guide to Mesoamerica , and the Dictionary of Archaeology.
Schlesinger Victoria, 2001, Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya. A Guide. Austin, University of Texas Press