Phasoleus vulgaris #3: Delving into the Mystery of the Rio Zape Bean and the Cave of los Muertos Chiquitos

The last phaseolus selection for our project has a history that’s stirred the imagination of many an armchair archaeologist. When I chose this bean, all I knew was that it was originally collected from the Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico in 1935. When it arrived, its purple color with black lines uncannily resembled a bean behind…