Recent DNA analyses of bottle gourds found at several sites throughout the Americas has resolved a long-standing mystery, as well as adding evidence establishing the early date of domestication of the bottle gourd plant.

Before the analyses, archeologists could only speculate that it had probably floated across the Atlantic, as the bottle gourd is native to Africa and not the Americas, but upon examining the DNA, they found that the American samples most closely matched the varieties of the African bottle gourd found in Asia, not Africa.

It was thus concluded that early migrants from Asia had deliberately brought the bottle gourd to the Americas, at least ten thousand years ago.

Archaeologists think that the original and evolutional shape of clay pottery was modeled on the shape of certain gourd varieties.

The avocado tree also has a long history of cultivation in Central America.

The oldest evidence of avocado use was found in a cave located in Coxcatlán, Puebla, Mexico, that dates to around 10,000 BCE.

The area where today's city of Puebla is located is considered by some historians yo have been uninhabited in the Pre-Columbian era, except in the fifteenth century, when this valley had been set aside for use for the so-called Flower Wars among the populations of Itzocan, Tepeaca, Huejotzingo, Texmelucan and Tlaxcala, with those soldiers captured being used as sacrifice victims.

The foundation of Puebla had begun with a letter from the bishop of Tlaxcala in 1530, Julián Garcés, to the Spanish queen outlining the need for a Spanish settlement between Mexico City and the port of Veracruz According to legend, the bishop had a dream about where to build the city.

In this dream, he saw a valley with woods and meadows crossed by a clear river and dotted with freshwater springs on fertile land.

While he was contemplating this scenery, he supposedly saw a group of angels descend from heaven and trace out the city.

Convinced he had seen a divine vision, he celebrated Mass, and took some of the brothers out in search of the place.

Five leagues from the monastery he declared they had found the place shown in the dream.

This legend is the source of Puebla’s original name, Puebla de los Ángeles, and its current nickname Angelópolis (literally, City of Angels).

The city is founded in 1531 the Valley of Cuetlaxcoapan as a Spanish city, not on the foundation of an existing indigenous city-state.

The official date of foundation is April 16, 1531, however, this first attempt at settlement fails due to constant flooding of the site right next to the river.

Several rivers flow through the Valley of Puebla: the San Francisco, Atoyac and the Alseseca.

This valley is bordered by the indigenous city-states-turned-colonial towns of Cholula, Tlaxcala, Huejotzingo and Tepeaca, all of which have large indigenous populations.

After the city’s foundation, this valley will become the main route between Mexico City and Veracruz, the port on the Caribbean coast and the connection to Spain.

Most of the population will move away from the west bank of the San Francisco River to a higher site.

A few families remain behind and rename the original settlement Alto de San Francisco.

The Spanish Crown has supported the founding of Puebla as a city without encomiendas, as this system is being abused and a number of Spaniards are finding themselves landless.

The strategic location of La Puebla de los Ángeles, halfway between the port of Veracruz and Mexico City, will make it the second most important city throughout the colonial period.

Founded on April 16, 1531, it had been the first city in central Mexico founded by the Spanish conquerors that was not built upon the ruins of a conquered native settlement.

A theater is built here in 1550.

Today the capital of the state of the same name, Puebla is the fourth most populous metropolitan area in Mexico and one of the largest in North America.

Worth and John A. Quitman advance on Puebla, fifty miles (eighty kilometers) closer to Mexico City on May 14—15.

Expecting to encounter Santa Anna’s forces there, they find only two thousand cavalry, which they easily rout, and are pleasantly surprised by the decision of the town’s leaders and priests to open Puebla to the Americans.

Scott has gathered supplies and reinforcements at Puebla during the preceding months, and sent back units whose enlistments have expired.

Scott also makes strong efforts to keep his troops disciplined and treat the Mexican people under occupation justly, so as to prevent a popular rising against his army.

With guerrillas harassing his line of communications back to Veracruz, Scott decides not to weaken his army to defend Puebla but, leaving only a garrison at Puebla to protect the sick and injured recovering there, advances on Mexico City on August 7 with his remaining force.

Another one thousand Americans have fallen ill at Puebla, due probably to the water supply.

Scott grants the armistice of Tacubaya on August 24, to permit the negotiation of a peace treaty.

With Scott’s forces voluntarily halted outside the capital, Santa Anna prepares for further war, not peace.

Peace negotiations break down on September 6, 1847.

Santa Anna makes one last attempt to defeat the Americans, by cutting them off from the coast, in September.

General Joaquín Rea begins the Siege of Puebla, soon joined by Santa Anna, but they fail to take it before the approach of a relief column from Veracruz under Brigadier Joseph Lane prompts Santa Anna to stop him.

Puebla is relieved by Lane on October 12, 1847, following his defeat of Santa Anna at the Battle of Huamantla on October 9, 1847.

The battle is Santa Anna's last.

Following the defeat, the new Mexican government led by Manuel de la Peña y Peña asks Santa Anna to turn over command of the army to General José Joaquín de Herrera.

The French troops encounter strong resistance in Puebla led by one of Juárez's trusted men, General Ignacio Zaragoza, who defeats the foreigners on May 5, 1862 (May 5 is celebrated today as one of Mexico's two national holidays).

The following May, Puebla is surrounded once again by French troops, who lay siege to the city for two months until it surrenders.

The fall of Puebla means easy access to Mexico City, and Juárez decides to evacuate the capital after receiving approval from congress.