Abejas Phase facts for kids
The Abejas Phase, also known as the Late Archaic, was an important time in the Tehuacán Valley in Mexico. It happened a very long time ago, from about 3825 to 2600 BC. Even though the Tehuacán Valley is famous for showing how ancient people lived, we don't know many specific places from this phase.
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Life During the Abejas Phase
The Abejas Phase was the fourth of six main periods in the Tehuacán Valley. It came after the Ajuereado, El Riego, and Coxcatlan phases, and before the Purron and Ajalpan phases. During this time, the number of people living in the area might have doubled compared to the Coxcatlan phase!
People started to live in more settled ways. They set up campsites and even permanent homes near rivers. This meant they didn't rely as much on just finding wild foods. Instead, they began to grow their own food.
Growing Food and New Tools
A big change during the Abejas Phase was the start of farming. People began to domesticate plants like:
- Maize (corn)
- Beans
- Squash
About 25% of the food they ate came from farming. This was a big step towards a more settled way of life.
People also started making new tools. They created long, sharp obsidian blades. Obsidian is a type of volcanic glass. Other new things they made included:
- Special split-stitch basketry (baskets woven in a unique way)
- Stone bowls and jars for holding things
Where Did People Live?
Several places are linked to the Abejas Phase. These include:
- Coxcatlan Cave
- San Marcos Cave (Tehuacan)
- Abejas Cave
- Purron Cave
- An area near Chilac
However, out of all these places, Cueva Blanca is the only one that archaeologists have fully dug up and studied from this time period.
Dogs as Friends
Did you know that dogs have been in Mesoamerica for a very long time? Even though there's evidence of dogs from even earlier times, the oldest bones of domesticated dogs in Middle America come from the Abejas Phase. This means that about 5,000 years ago, dogs were already living with people and helping them!
