Cacao found in 38 ancient North American sites

Cacao found in 38 ancient North American sites. Ceramic vessels at 38 sites in North America tested positive for cacao Sites range from Arizona to Florida to Wisconsin Cacao doesn't grow in the United States - it must have been imported

Cacao residue found at multiple ancient sites across American Southwest - far beyond where it can grow! Evidence of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican trade routes reaching far beyond their home territory 🫘🛤️

Key facts:

- Ceramic vessels at Ancestral Pueblo sites (especially Pueblo Bonito at Chaco Canyon) tested positive for theobromine

- Sites confirmed in Arizona, Utah, New Mexico's Chaco Canyon, and northern Mexico

- Cacao doesn't grow in the United States - it must have been imported

- Evidence of cacao drinks consumed primarily by elites circa AD 1000–1125

- Evidence of long-distance trade routes in pre-Columbian times

Key facts claimed:

- Ceramic vessels at sites tested positive for cacao

- Sites range from Arizona to Utah to New Mexico's Chaco Canyon

- Cacao doesn't grow in the United States - it must have been imported

- It was likely processed cacao from Mesoamerica, possibly including fermented varieties

- Evidence of long-distance trade routes between AD 1000 and the 1400s

Key Facts

• Ceramic vessels at 38 sites in North America tested positive for cacao
• Sites range from Arizona to Florida to Wisconsin
• Cacao doesn't grow in the United States - it must have been imported
• It was likely fermented cacao, similar to what the Aztecs used
• Evidence of long-distance trade routes in pre-Columbian times

Source: Ep. 6 - The Shaman and the Philosopher - Rick Osmon by Institute for Natural Philosophy