Archeologist’s New Discovery: 2,500 Year-Old Chocolate
Mexican archeologists found the remains of 2.500 year-old chocolate on a Mayan plate during research in Yucatan, NBC reported last week.
Traces of chemical substances considered "markers" for chocolate were found on fragments of plates uncovered at the Paso del Macho archaeological site in Yucatan in 2001.
The fragments were later subjected to tests with the help of experts at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi as part of a joint project. The discovery revealed a "ratio of theobromine and caffeine compounds that provide a strong indicator of cacao usage," according to a statement by the university.
"This is the first time it has been found on a plate used for serving food," archaeologist Tomas Gallareta said to NBC reporter Mark Stevenson. "It is unlikely that it was ground there (on the plate), because they used metates (grinding stones)."
Experts have long thought cacao beans and pods were mainly used in pre-Hispanic cultures as a beverage, but the discovery disproved that theory and showed that chocolate was also eaten as food amongst the pre-Hispanic Maya.
Source: Naharnet
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