Ancient Americans satisfied caffeine addiction with holly and cacao drinks

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/10/ancient-americas-caffeine-holly-cacao-trade

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More than 1,000 years before Starbucks, caffeine was an international market mover, with ancient civilizations trading holly and cacao-based chocolate beverages between what is now modern-day Mexico, and the US south-west and south, according to a new study.

Led by University of New Mexico anthropology professor Patricia Crown, the study says the trade lasted for around 700 years, probably driven by a pre-Hispanic caffeine addiction.

Previous studies found traces of cacao-based chocolate beverages in parts of the south-west but this new study confirms their popularity and adds the holly drink that before the study was not known to be consumed in the south-west, Crown said.

Holly, which was used to make a caffeinated tea, was grown in what is now the southern US.

Researchers found caffeine on shards from jars, bowls and pitchers located at archaeological sites throughout present-day New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado, where neither holly nor cacao grows.

“The fact we have found traces of caffeine that are 1,000 years old is exciting,” Crown said. “As new technology develops, we can discover things about the past like this using objects we already have in museums.”

Crown said the caffeine was probably used in rituals and political events. Scientists believe the drinks were largely consumed by the elite or a noble class because the plant for the drinks had to go through an intricate trade route.

“For people who had a diet consisting of corn, bean and squash, the drinks provided a kick,” Crown said.

It’s unclear if people in the south-west travelled down to Mexico or if the plants were obtained through village-to-village trade routes.