A broken vessel may be more useful for reconstructing daily life than a paragraph written by a conquistador.

THE PEOPLE WHO FED THE ARMY

The expedition’s demand for food was one of the most direct ways in which it affected Native communities.

Agricultural societies survived through careful planning.

A harvest represented months of work.

Corn had to be planted, tended, harvested, dried, processed, and stored.

When an army arrived and consumed stored food, the loss could not be replaced immediately.

The Spanish might leave after several days, but the shortage remained.