Mugs of the Mesa and Old Chocolate: Evidence of Prehistoric
Cacao Use in the Mesa Verde Region of the North American Southwest
(Contributed Poster)
De Loera, Alexia (The University of San Diego)
Millar, Donald (The University of San Diego)
Klein, Lauren (The University of San Diego)
Fernandez, Andrew
ceramic analysis
Mesa Verde
American Southwest
Document
http://alpha.tdar.org/document/48701/mugs-of-the-mesa-and-old-chocolate-evidence-of-prehistoric-cacao-use-in-the-mesa-verde-region-of-the-north-american-southwest-contributed-poster
Text
Society of American Archaeology
Society of American Archaeology, San Francisco, California
conference
Undergraduate Anthropology and Chemistry students at the
University of San Diego (USD) collaborated on the application of
analytical chemistry to archaeological ceramics. USD curates 1000’s
of prehistoric Southwestern artifacts, all of which are available for
student research. We examined some of the collections vessels for
cacao, which is the raw form of chocolate. Patricia Crown and W.
Jeffrey Hurst recently found it in cylinder jar fragments from Chaco
Canyon. Crown’s methodology was adapted for our project, using the
university’s mugs from the Mesa Verde region near Durango, Colorado.
The chemical analysis of residues extracted from Pueblo II to Pueblo
III period (A.D. 1100 to 1300) Mesa Verde mugs indicates the presence
of theobromine, a chemical component of cacao. In all, 24 vessels
were tested using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Two mugs
had positive indications for chocolate. Cacao is endemic to
Mesoamerica and was used in ritual practice that made its way north
with other exotica. The chemical results will be discussed along with
an analysis of long distance trade networks as well as the
morphological, iconographic and use-wear characteristic of each
vessel.
2015-04-02T21:49:28-07:00
Mugs of the Mesa and Old Chocolate: Evidence of
Prehistoric Cacao Use in the Mesa Verde Region of the North American
Southwest (Contributed Poster). Alexia De Loera, Donald Millar,
Lauren Klein, Andrew Fernandez. Presented at Society of American
Archaeology, San Francisco, California. 2015 ( tDAR id: 48701) ;
doi:10.6067/XCV848701
North America - Southwest
http://alpha.tdar.org/document/48701/mugs-of-the-mesa-and-old-chocolate-evidence-of-prehistoric-cacao-use-in-the-mesa-verde-region-of-the-north-american-southwest-contributed-poster
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start=2015;end=2016;
2015