Theancient Mayaare famed for their ritual use ofcacao , and young grounds suggests that the iconic pod were more wide consumed than antecedently thought . Until now , archaeologist assumed that the ingestion of cacao products was the exclusive right wing of the political and spiritual elite group – yet it now appear that even the humble of villagers had access to the hero-worship sacrament .
Adored worldwide as the central component in chocolate , cacao is often mistakenly identify as a noggin but is in fact the seminal fluid of theTheobroma cacaotree . During the Late Classic Maya Period , cacao pods were used to manufacture a drink ritually wipe out during regal celebration and spiritual rituals , and is thought to have been associated with wealth and power .
According to the generator of a Modern subject area , these assumptions are derived from the fact that archaeologists have tended to search for chocolate tree residues on highly decorative ceremonial vas , creating the impression that the drink was only ever imbibed from such vessels . Yet few study have bothered to analyze the dregs on the plain old pots and pans of even Maya villager and granger .
The study authors pick up 54 ceramic sherds ( broken pieces of ceramic ) from both residential and civic centers within the ancientMaya settlementof El Pilar , on the perimeter of Belize and Guatemala . Using resonance - enhanced multiphoton ionization and optical maser - desorption jet - cooling mass spectrometry , they determined the mien of cacao residue on 56 percent of these artifacts .
Significantly , cacao remains were identified on ceramic in both residential and civil linguistic context across all geographical zones – include highland areas , foothills , and valleys . Such a spread head cater a pretty decent cross - section ofMayasociety and suggests that cacao tree consumption was omnipresent throughout El Pilar .
“ We reason out that cacao biomarkers are unwashed in many Late Classic contexts , and can be recognized in all basic domestic vas forms , across every landform in the El Pilar expanse , in residential unit of every status and , of course , in civic centers , ” drop a line the researchers .
base on this determination , they explain that “ if Theobroma cacao was engage in esteemed rituals , such case were portion out by all ranks of company . ”
However , the subject author insist that such inclusivity does not reduce the economic value or position of Theobroma cacao within Maya high society . Rather , they “ interpret the designation of chocolate tree in vas belong to people of all walks of life as check that cacao ’s prestige was squander by all in Maya guild . ”
sum up their findings , the researchers explain that “ cacao ’s role was universal in Late Classic Maya society and consuming cacao was crucial for prestigiousness and perquisite among the population as a whole . ”
The study was issue in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .
