| Summary: | One of Cortés's first measures following the conquest of Central Mexico was the introduction of agricultural products and techniques, as well as European livestock. This production was mostly directed toward European settlers who did not want to alter their dietary habits. However, rural indigenous populations were not left out of these transformations of agricultural system. As early as the 1540s, both indigenous elites and community members obtained lands from the Crown used to raise sheep and goats. Recent excavations on the site of Mich.415-Las Iglesias (Michoacán) open a window on an Indian village occupied shortly after the Conquest. Test pits uncovered a trash area associated with a wealthy habitation, containing 566 faunal remains. Zooarchaeological analysis indicates the presence of both European (cattle, sheep/goat) and local (mud turtle, fish, duck) animals. This demonstrates the early spread of these new products in rural areas of Western Mexico and their rapid impact on the diets of indigenous populations.
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