A new study conducted at the ancient site of Etowah in Georgia, USA, has revealed that people of the Mississippian culture consumed cacao during the 11th and 12th centuries. Published in the scientific journal PLOS One, the research provides the first direct evidence of tropical cacao use east of the Mississippi River, indicating the existence of highly developed and extensive trade networks in the region centuries before the arrival of Europeans.
Genetic Traces in Clay Vessels
Scientists sequenced ancient DNA extracted from beverage residues found in the pores of ancient clay vessels and compared it with the cacao genome. Complex filtering methods were employed to isolate DNA from soil bacteria, foreign plants, and external contaminants. Previous chemical analyses had detected caffeine in these vessels; however, the presence of cacao could not be definitively confirmed, as local plants like the Japanese primrose, which grows in the region, also contain caffeine and theobromine. Advanced genetic analyses have now provided irrefutable evidence for the presence of this plant, which only grows in tropical regions.
Ancient Trade Transcending Borders
Such archaeological evidence plays a vital role in understanding historical processes and societal changes [1]. Today, tremendous advancements in artificially encoding ancient DNA and genetic data storage technologies are illuminating dark spots in our past [2]. Modern studies examining the economic value of regional resources and historical trade routes also confirm the significance of these extensive networks [3].
The findings suggest that the inhabitants of Etowah were not content with local resources alone but were actively engaged in trade with tropical regions thousands of kilometers to the south. Cacao may have been not only a luxury commodity in this ancient society but also an important component of social and cultural rituals.
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