An international squad associating archaeologists, anthropologists, biochemists in addition to geneticists lately flora for the outset fourth dimension archaeological traces of cocoa occupation inwards South America inwards pre-Columbian times. This resultant is published inwards the magazine Nature Ecology in addition to Evolution.
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| Ceremonial site of Santa Ana La Florida archaeological site nigh Palanda, Ecuyador [Credit: © C. Lanaud, CIRAD] |
This prove was collected inwards the southern Ecuadorian Amazon, at the Santa Ana La Florida (SALF) archaeological site nigh Palanda, discovered xvi years agone past times the archeologist Francisco Valdez in addition to his Franco-Ecuadorian squad (IRD/INPC) (2). The Mayo Chinchipe, the oldest known Amerindian culture inwards the upper Amazon, had consumed cocoa nigh continuously from at to the lowest degree 5300 years to 2100 years earlier present. Traces of houses in addition to of a ceremonial site remain.
Ancient cocoa deoxyribonucleic acid flora inwards ceramic vessels dated dorsum to a greater extent than than 5300 years
“Evidence of cocoa occupation was flora past times analysing the starch grains feature of the genus Theobroma, traces of theobromine, a biochemical chemical compound specific to mature cocoa beans, in addition to ancient cocoa deoxyribonucleic acid flora inwards ceramic vessels, unopen to of which dated dorsum to a greater extent than than 5300 years” , says Claire Lanaud, a geneticist from CIRAD specializing inwards cocoa, who is i of the atomic number 82 authors of the study. “The vessels came from tombs or domestic settings; they clearly showed that cocoa was used both every bit a funerary offering in addition to for daily consumption.”
The ancient deoxyribonucleic acid analyses were conducted past times a squad of geneticists from CIRAD, inwards collaboration amongst the INPC, the IRD, in addition to INRA, every bit business office of a projection on the past times in addition to introduce domestication of cocoa funded past times Agropolis Fondation. After sequencing, the squad demonstrated the presence of deoxyribonucleic acid fragments specific to the species Theobroma cacao, despite their severe degradation due to the humid tropical environs inwards which they were found.
The Santa Ana-La Florida archaeological site inwards Ecuador
The Santa Ana-La Florida archaeological site is located inside the expanse of beginning of the Nacional cocoa diversity grown on the Pacific coast of Ecuador, from which all the fine cocoa produced inwards the province originated. The presence of seashells, such every bit spondylus in addition to strombus, from the Pacific coast, at the archaeological site demonstrates that in that place were communication links betwixt the peoples of the Pacific coast in addition to those of the Amazon, such every bit the Mayo Chinchipe. “This latter grouping may hence accept played a major purpose inwards domesticating cocoa inwards full general in addition to the Nacional diversity inwards particular.”
Source: CIRAD [October 29, 2018]
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