Forty intact vessels were excavated and examined for organic residues. The results are impressive-- wine, sweetened with honey and spiced with a variety of herbs such as myrtle, mint, and juniper-- was stored in this ancient cellar, dating to 3,700 years ago. The cellar seems to have belonged to a Canaanite leader that lived in a palace at the site of Tel Kabri, Israel.
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Archaeologists working in southern Mexico, at Chiapa de Corzo, are reporting that residues collected from vessels older than 2000 years, have evidence of chile peppers. Furthermore, this is the earliest example of chile pepper use documented yet. As they also mention, chile peppers are seldom found in archaeobotanical samples from Mexico and the Maya region. These results are exciting and will hopefully open doors for more such studies in the region.
Phytoliths of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) have been recovered from ceramic sherds from sites across Europe and parts of the Near East. The presence of this plant, that is not considered to be nutritional in any form, is argued to have been used to spice food. The ceramic sherds also had evidence of fish and animal residues. This study suggests that early agriculturalists were interested in spicing their food, too.
Flasks from modern-day Israel have been tested for residues, and the results suggest that these contained cinnamon. The discovery is even more interesting as it indicates that trade with the Far East was occurring, which is around 3,000 miles away, around 3,000 years ago. Archaeologists believe the dry bark would have been mixed with wine to flavor it, as it is done today.
An incredibly well-preserved stucco frieze was discovered at the Maya site of Holmul. Built on one side of a staircase tomb, located inside a pyramid, the frieze was painted with various colors and depicts important iconographic elements that shed some light on the ceremonies that were carried out to install a new king. Within the same pyramid, a tomb belonging to an individual, probably an elite, was also discovered.
Hair samples collected from three Incan child mummies has shown that these individuals consumed coca and alcohol prior to their death. In particular,one of the young girls seems to have consumed larger quantities of these substances prior to being sacrificed. Ritual sacrifices were part of Inca culture and it was considered an honor to be selected for this event.
Looking at nitrogen isotopes, researchers are claiming that manure was started being used as agriculture spread to Europe from the Near East. The earliest use of manure is being dated to around 8000 years ago, which is thousands of years earlier than had been previously thought.
The consumption of nicotine was more widespread than previously thought among ancient Chilean societies. Analyzing hair collected from mummies discovered in Chile's Atacama Desert, researchers were surprised to discover that people as early as 100 B.C. were smoking tobacco, and that it was not restricted to certain social or economic classes.
BYU researchers are proposing that the ancient Maya farmed near the the bajos (wetlands), unlike the modern communities that farm on the hillsides. This new data, gathered by studying carbon isotopes collected from the site of Tikal, may change the way we conceive of ancient farming.
A limestone pressing platform has revealed chemical evidence for grape pressing to make wine. Combined with other evidence, which includes botanical remains, scholars are more secure that wine was being produced at Lattara around 400 B.C.
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