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　　About 5,000 years ago in Peru, culture kicked into high gear. During what’s called the late Archaic¹ period, South Americans formed permanent communities with complex architecture, religion and agriculture. And now scientists have shown that maize² played a big part in this development. The study is in the Proceedings³ of the National Academy of Sciences.

　　For decades, researchers have argued about whether corn was a dietary staple⁴ in the late Archaic. The answer, it turns out, was hidden in the turf, tools and toilets of 13 archaeological sites along the coast of Peru. Of 126 soil samples dating back to the late Archaic, 48 percent contained maize pollen⁵. Of 14 stone tools found at one site, 79 percent still carried traces of maize. And finally, scientists analyzed⁶ 62 human and canine⁷ coprolites, or fossilized feces. Maize was the dominant⁸ starch⁹, present in 69 percent of the ancient samples.

　　Some of the evidence is literally¹⁰ crap, but the conclusion isn’t: a corny dietary staple helped drive the growth of civilization in the late Archaic.

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1 archaic
adj.(语言、词汇等)古代的，已不通用的
参考例句：
The company does some things in archaic ways,such as not using computers for bookkeeping.这个公司有些做法陈旧，如记账不使用电脑。 Shaanxi is one of the Chinese archaic civilized origins which has a long history.陕西省是中国古代文明发祥之一，有悠久的历史。

2 maize
n.玉米
参考例句：
There's a field planted with maize behind the house.房子后面有一块玉米地。 We can grow sorghum or maize on this plot.这块地可以种高粱或玉米。

3 proceedings
n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报
参考例句：
He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。 to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

4 staple
n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类
参考例句：
Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。 Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

5 pollen
n.[植]花粉
参考例句：
Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。 He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。

6 analyzed
v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析
参考例句：
The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。来自《简明英汉词典》 The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。来自《简明英汉词典》

7 canine
adj.犬的，犬科的
参考例句：
The fox is a canine animal.狐狸是犬科动物。 Herbivorous animals have very small canine teeth,or none.食草动物的犬牙很小或者没有。

8 dominant
adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因
参考例句：
The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。 She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

9 starch
n.淀粉；vt.给...上浆
参考例句：
Corn starch is used as a thickener in stews.玉米淀粉在炖煮菜肴中被用作增稠剂。 I think there's too much starch in their diet.我看是他们的饮食里淀粉太多了。

10 literally
adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实
参考例句：
He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。 Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。