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Where was some of the earliest evidence of plant domestication in Mesoamerica found?

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Map of Mesoamerica showing the geographic distribution of various Indigenous peoples, with regions labeled for groups such as the Maya, Nahua, Zapotec, Mixtec, Otomi, Mazahua, Huastec, Tarasco, and others across present-day Mexico and parts of Central America. Boundaries indicate the approximate areas inhabited by each group. — Mesoamerican Indian Distribution of Meso-American Indians.

Some of the earliest evidence of plant domestication in Mesoamerica has been found in dry caves and rock shelters in the modern southern Mexican states of Oaxaca and Puebla.1

The Guilá Naquitz site in Oaxaca is particularly significant, providing some of the earliest evidence for the transition to food production. Researchers have recovered squash seeds there that are larger than their wild counterparts, with one specimen directly dated to 10,000 years before present (bp), marking it as among the oldest evidence of a domesticated plant in the Americas. Additionally, the oldest recovered corn cob, dating to between 6300 and 6000 bp, was also found at this site.2

In the Tehuacán valley of Puebla, excavations have yielded substantial evidence of plant domestication shortly after 6500 bce, including remains of chili peppers, cotton, and squash. Further evidence of early agricultural activity, such as corn and manioc pollen, has been identified at the San Andrés site on the Gulf coast of Tabasco, dating to 7000–6000 bp.12