Rare discovery / Mayan tribes not only smoked, but also drank liquid tobacco

Unprecedented archaeological evidence has been discovered in the Pacific lowlands of Guatemala that Maya tribes used tobacco infusions for rituals related to sacrifice, bathing and childbirth.

Scientists working at the pre-Columbian archaeological site of El Baúl in Cotzumalhuapa were looking for traces of cacao in a sample of large ceramic vessels recovered from ritual deposits. The vessels, which date from the Mayan Late Classic period (AD 600-900), were also tested for other residues, including tobacco.

When the results came back from the analysis, the team was surprised. "We didn't expect to find traces of nicotine in potable cylindrical pots," lead researcher Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos told History.

The roots of the Maya culture can be traced back to around 2600 BC The Maya states later spread across Central America until their defeat and colonization by the Spanish in the 16th century AD. Although never united politically, the Maya, who still live in the region, have always been linked by language, culture and religion.

Our knowledge of Maya tobacco use comes mainly from visual descriptions and verbal descriptions. Sixteenth-century sources, for example, describe a black ointment called teotlaqualli, which means "food of the gods." Made from poisonous animals, tobacco and psychoactive seeds, it was used to communicate with spirits. Images and descriptions in sacred texts show that the use of tobacco permeated the daily life of the Maya, usually by smoking.

Physical evidence of nicotine has been found once before on a Maya vessel, in 2012. With the recent discovery at El Baúl, historians now have the first ever evidence of liquid tobacco use in ancient Mesoamerica. The consumption of liquid tobacco is highly toxic and can be fatal. It was likely used to induce visions or divine ecstasy as part of a controlled ceremonial rite and to minimize pain for humans being sacrificed to the gods.