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Scientists at Washington State University (WSU) analyzed the contents of 14 miniature Mayan ceramic vessels to gain insight into civilizations’ drug use. The team found traces of a “tobacco-free” plant known as Mexican marigold. The container was buried over 1000 years ago and also contains traces of cured and cured tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum and N. rustica.
The researchers believe the marigold was mixed with regular tobacco to make smoking “more pleasurable,” WSU said.
Mario Zimmermann, lead author of the study, postdoctoral fellow in anthropology, said the research paves the way for future studies of other types of psychoactive and non-psychoactive plants consumed by the Mayan civilization and other ancient societies.
Dr Zimmerman said: “While it has been established that tobacco is commonly used in the Americas before and after contact, the evidence of other plants used for medicinal or religious purposes has remained largely unexplored.
“The analytical methods developed in collaboration between the Department of Anthropology and the Institute of Biological Chemistry give us the opportunity to study drug use in the ancient world like never before.
“When you find something really interesting like an intact container, it gives you a feeling of joy.
“Normally you’re lucky if you find a jade bead.” There are literally tons of pottery shards out there, but full containers are rare and offer a lot of interesting research potential.
Archaeologists first discovered the ships in 2012, while digging on the outskirts of Mérida, Mexico.
However, the team was only able to more accurately detect what was inside thanks to the progress on the ground.
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Now, researchers have analyzed metabolomics – small molecules found in cells, biofluids, tissues, or organisms – to find plants.
Previously, researchers were only able to identify old plans based on the detection of a limited number of biomarkers, such as nicotine, anabasine, cotinine, and caffeine.
David Gang, professor at the Institute for Biological Chemistry at WSU and co-author of the study, said: “The problem with this is that if the presence of a biomarker like nicotine shows that the tobacco has been smoked, it doesn’t tell you what else has been consumed or stored in the artifact.
“Our approach not only tells you, yes, you found the plant you are interested in, but it can also tell you what else was being eaten.”
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The team is currently in negotiations with several institutions in Mexico as they wish to explore more areas to better understand Mayan drug use.
Another project they are currently pursuing is to examine organic residue preserved in dental plaque from ancient human remains, WSU said.
Shannon Tushingham, professor of anthropology at WSU and co-author of the study, said: “We are expanding the frontiers of archaeological science to better investigate the deep time relationships that people have had with a wide range of people. array of psychoactive plants, which have been (and continue to be) consumed by humans around the world.
“There are many ingenious ways in which people manage, use, manipulate and prepare native plants and plant mixtures, and archaeologists are only beginning to scratch the surface of the antiquity of these practices.”
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