A mass of charred seeds found while clearing a home construction site in Brantford, Ont. has been identified as ancient, domesticated goosefoot, a form of quinoa native to eastern North America.
The seeds date back to 900 BC, and have never been found north of Kentucky this early in history, says Gary Crawford, a professor in the department of anthropology at the University of Toronto Mississauga, who was brought in by Archaeological Services Inc. (ASI), the archaeological consulting firm that excavated the site.
