Ancient tools reveal the deep history of the Four Corners Potato

Archaeologist Lisbeth Louderback discusses new research that could reshape what scientists know about early agriculture in the American Southwest. Her study, published in PLOS ONE, analyzed microscopic starch grains on 401 ancient stone tools from sites across the Colorado Plateau and found evidence that people were processing the Four Corners potato, Solanum jamesii, as early as 10,000 years ago. The findings suggest Indigenous communities transported and cultivated the wild tuber far beyond its natural range, pointing to early steps toward domestication and extensive regional trade networks. Louderback says the research—combining archaeology, plant science and knowledge from Diné farmers and elders—reveals a deeper story about Indigenous agriculture and the long relationship between people and plants in the Southwest.