Ancient DNA reveals cacao was consumed in present-day Georgia 1,000 years ago
One of the world's favorite sweet treats, chocolate, may have been enjoyed in eastern North America much earlier than previously thought, about 1,000 years ago. New research published in the journal PLOS One suggests that people in the Mississippian city of Etowah were consuming cacao, the plant used to make chocolate, in the 11th and 12th centuries.
Scientists have discovered evidence of ancient chocolate consumption in the Mississippian city of Etowah, located in present-day Georgia, around 1,000 years ago. This finding indicates that cacao, the plant used to make chocolate, was consumed in eastern North America earlier than previously thought. The research, published in the journal PLOS One, analyzed pottery sherds found in feasting pits associated with the construction of the site's first platform mound.
By sequencing the DNA in the ancient residue from these sherds, the researchers were able to distinguish cacao from other caffeinated plants native to the region. The presence of cacao at Etowah suggests that long-distance exchange networks may have transported tropical cacao into eastern North America.
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