By: Kristin Turner
Published: Nov 13, 2007
Updated: Jul 2, 2009
Scientists have found evidence of the earliest evidence of chocolate drinks in Central America and believe residents enjoyed the desert more than 3,000 years ago.
Archaeologists led by John Henderson of Cornell University found the residue of the chemical theobromine, which only occurs in Mesoamerica in the cacao plant used to make chocolate, is present in the shattered remains of liquid-holding pottery vessels dating from somewhere between 1400 and 1100 BCE.
It marks the earliest known chocolate drink of the New World. The knowledgeable researchers studied the remains of pottery used in the lower Ulua Valley in northern Honduras about 1100 BCE.
The professional experts said the decorative style of the pottery indicates that cacao was served at important ceremonies to mark weddings and births.
However, the ancient chocolate drink was a far cry from modern hot chocolate as it was an alcoholic fermented beverage made from the sweet pulp that surrounds the seeds of cacao.
Researchers say that an alcoholic beverage from the pulp, carrying on this ancient tradition, continues to be made in parts of Latin America. The initial development generously provided the impetus to domesticate the chocolate tree to prepare a beverage based on the more bitter beans.
You can share this Archeology news story with your friends or family from our Alternative Energy section. This article can be shared through e-mail or sent to online social Web sites including Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and others. You can choose from one of the options below.
You can catch all the latest news from us @Newsoxy on Twitter.
Get the latest on Hybrid Cars, SUVs, Trucks, and Minivans from our Hybrid Newsletter for free.
