Residue analysis suggests ritual use of tobacco at the ancient Mesoamerican city of Cotzumalhuapa, Guatemala
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3319260 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Adam Negrin (Lehman College, corresponding author), Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos (0000-0002-4386-7742, Yale University, corresponding author), Cameron L Mcneil (0000-0002-1668-4238, Lehman College), W Jeffrey Hurst (0000-0002-7867-3665, Hershey (United States)), Edward J Kennelly (0000-0002-1682-2696, City University of New York) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 98 |
| Issue | 398 |
| Pages | 518-534 |
| Publication date | 2024-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Antiquity (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0003-598X • E-ISSN: 1745-1744 |
| Publisher | Antiquity Publications (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.15184/aqy.2024.13 |
| OpenAlex | W4392372800 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 39 |
The widespread significance of tobacco in Mesoamerica is documented in historical and ethnographic sources, yet recovery of the organic remains of this plant from archaeological contexts is rare. Here, the authors present evidence for the ritual use of tobacco at Cotzumalhuapa, Guatemala, during the Late Classic period (AD 650-950). Detection of nicotine in residue analysis of three cylindrical ceramic vases recovered from cache deposits near the El Baúl acropolis suggests that these vessels contained tobacco infusions or other liquid preparations. These results suggest an ancient ritual practice involving tobacco for which there was previously no physical evidence in Mesoamerica
Ancient history · Archaeology · Biology · Geography · Residue (chemistry) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies · History · Latin American history and culture
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |