Locations of ancient Maya sacred groves of cacao trees discovered
Findings show links among cacao cultivation, religion and power in region


Date:
January 31, 2022
Source:
Brigham Young University
Summary:
A team has identified nine sinkholes in the Yucatan peninsula that
contain evidence of both cacao trees and ancient ceremonial rituals.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
For as much as modern society worships chocolate, cacao -- the plant
chocolate comes from -- was believed to be even more divine to ancient
Mayas. The Maya considered cacao beans to be a gift from the gods and
even used them as currency because of their value.


==========================================================================
As such, cacao bean production was carefully controlled by the Maya
leaders of northern Yucatan, with cacao trees only grown in sacred
groves. But no modern researcher has ever been able to pinpoint where
these ancient sacred groves were located -- until now.

Researchers at Brigham Young University, including professor emeritus
Richard Terry and graduate students Bryce Brown and Christopher Balzotti, worked closely with archaeologists from the U.S. and Mexico to identify locations the Maya used to provide the perfect blend of humidity, calm
and shade required by cacao trees. While the drier climate of the Yucatan peninsula is inhospitable to cacao growth, the team realized the vast
array of sinkholes common to the peninsula have microclimates with just
the right conditions.

As detailed in a study newly published in the Journal of Archaeological
Science Reports, the team conducted soil analyses on 11 of those sinkholes
and found that the soil of nine of them contained evidence of theobromine
and caffeine - - combined biomarkers unique to cacao. Archaeologists
also found evidence of ancient ceremonial rituals -- such as staircase
ramps for processions, stone carvings, altars and offerings like jade
and ceramics (including tiny ceramic cacao pods) -- in several sinkholes.

"We looked for theobromine for several years and found cacao in some
places we didn't expect," said Terry, who recently retired from BYU. "We
were also amazed to see the ceremonial artifacts. My students rappelled
into one of these sinkholes and said, 'Wow! There is a structure in
here!' It was a staircase that filled one-third of the sinkhole with
stone." To extract and analyze the sinkhole soil for cacao biomarkers -- specifically theobromine and caffeine -- the team developed a new method
of soil extraction.

This involved drying the soil samples and passing them through a sieve, covering them with hot water, having them centrifuged and passed through extraction disks, and analyzing the extracts by mass spectrometry. To
increase the sensitivity of their testing, the research team compared
the results of the soil samples to seven control samples with no history
of exposure to the biomarkers.

The findings of the BYU study indicate that cacao groves played an
important role in ancient rituals and trade routes of the ancient Maya, impacting the entirety of the Mesoamerican economy. A 70-mile Maya
"highway" in the area that was the main artery for trade passes near
hundreds of sinkholes, so it is likely that the leaders who commissioned
the highway development also controlled cacao production. The evidence
of cacao cultivation alongside archaeological findings also supports
the idea that cacao was important in the ideological move from a maize
god to a sun god.

In one sinkhole near Coba, Mexico, a village 45 minutes from modern
day Tulum, the research team found the arm and bracelet of a figurine
attached to an incense jar and several ceramic modeled cacao pods. They
also found remnant cacao trees growing there, making it quite possible
that this sinkhole, named "Dzadz Ion," was the location of a sacred
cacao grove during the Late Postclassic period (About A.D. 1000 to 1400).

"Now we have these links between religious structures and the religious
crops grown in these sinkholes," Terry said. "Knowing that the cacao beans
were used as currency, it means the sinkholes were a place where the money could be grown and controlled. This new understanding creates a rich
historical narrative of a highly charged Maya landscape with economic, political and spiritual value." Researchers for the project also came
from University of California, Riverside, the University of Miami, State University of New York, Kent State University, Universidad Nacional
Auto'noma de Mexico, Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia,
and the Cultural Heritage and Archaeology in the Maya Area institution.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Brigham_Young_University. Original
written by Todd Hollingshead. Note: Content may be edited for style
and length.


========================================================================== Related Multimedia:
* Map_and_image_of_ancient_staircase_near_Coba,_Mexico ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Richard E. Terry, Bryce M. Brown, Travis W. Stanton, Traci Ardren,
Tanya
Carin~o Anaya, Justin Lowry, Jose' Francisco Osorio Leo'n,
Francisco Pe'rez Rui'z, Nelda Marengo Camacho, Aline Magnoni,
Mandy Munro-Stasiuk, Christopher S. Balzotti. Soil biomarkers of
cacao tree cultivation in the sacred cacao groves of the northern
Maya lowlands. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2022;
41: 103331 DOI: 10.1016/ j.jasrep.2021.103331 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220131095024.htm

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