Diet, nutrition and population dynamics in the Basin of Mexico

Most scholars concerned with the evolution of complex societies have tacitly assumed that population, growth was essentially a constant phenomenon in antiquity. Recent research, however, has shown not only that extreme variety in rates of growth occurs in both time and space but also that successful reproductive performance, and by implication the potential for population growth, is closely related to population nutritional status. The interrelationships between nutritional status and the potential for population growth from one area of Meso‐america, the Basin of Mexico, are examined here. Periods of rapid sustained growth are highly correlated with periods of balanced nutrition, while periods of population stability appear to be associated with a variety of nutritional deficiencies: to shortages in raw protein and essential amino acids in particular. Interrelationships with other factors ‐ food preparation techniques, animal domestication and environmental change ‐ are also discussed.