MADRID, 18 (EUROPA PRESS)
Scientists have identified for the first time the presence of a non-tobacco plant in ancient containers of medicinal substances used by the Mayans.
Researchers at Washington State University have detected Mexican marigolds (Tagetes lucida) in debris taken from 14 miniature Mayan pottery.
Originally buried more than 1,000 years ago in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, the containers also contain chemical traces present in two types of dry and dry tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum and N. rustica. The research team, led by Washington State University postdoc in anthropology Mario Zimmermann, believes that Mexican marigolds have been mixed with tobacco to make smoking more enjoyable.
The discovery of the contents of the vessels creates a clearer picture of the practices of using medicinal substances in ancient Maya. The research, which was published in Scientific Reports, also paves the way for future studies investigating other types of psychoactive and non-psychoactive plants that have been smoked, chewed or inhaled among Maya and other pre-Columbian societies.
“Although it has been established that tobacco was commonly used in America before and after contact, evidence for other plants used for medicinal or religious purposes has remained largely unexplored,” Zimmermann said in a statement. “The analytical methods developed in collaboration between the Department of Anthropology and the Institute of Biological Chemistry give us the ability to investigate drug use in the ancient world like never before.”
The work of Zimmermann and his colleagues was made possible by a new method of analysis based on metabolomics that can detect thousands of plant compounds or metabolites in waste collected from containers, pipes, bowls and other archaeological artifacts. The compounds can then be used to identify which plants have been consumed.
Previously, the identification of ancient plant residues was based on the detection of a limited number of biomarkers, such as nicotine, anabazine, cotinine and caffeine.
“The problem with this is that while the presence of a biomarker like nicotine shows that the tobacco was smoked, it doesn’t tell you what else was consumed or stored in the artifact,” said David Gang, a professor at the WSU Institute of Biological Chemistry and co-author. of the study. “Our approach not only tells you, yes, you have found the plant that interests you, but it can also tell you what else is being consumed.”
Zimmermann helped unearth two of the ceremonial vessels that were used for analysis in the spring of 2012. At the time, he was working on a excavation led by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History on the outskirts of Mérida, where a contractor had discovered evidence of a Mayan archeological site while clearing land for a new housing complex.
Zimmermann and a team of archaeologists used GPS equipment to divide the area into a network similar to a chessboard. Then they made their way through the dense jungle in search of small mounds and other revealing signs of ancient buildings where the remains of important people, such as shamans, are sometimes found.
“When you find something really interesting, like an intact container, it gives you a sense of joy,” Zimmermann said. “Normally, you’re in luck if you find a jade bead. There are literally tons of ceramic pieces, but complete pots are rare and offer great potential for interesting research.”
Zimmermann said the research team is currently in talks with various institutions in Mexico to gain access to older containers in the region that they can analyze for plant residues. Another project he is currently carrying out is to look for organic residues preserved in the dental plaque of ancient human remains.