48 Mesoamerica and the southwestern United States: archaeology

This chapter focuses on the migration of maize farmers and Uto-Aztecan languages from Mesoamerica into the western United States, starting around 2000 bce. Alternative models are also discussed, but the case for migration is supported by a combination of archaeological and linguistic data. Keywords: archaeology; New World prehistory; Holocene; Central America; Mesoamerica