Post by UKarchaeology on Aug 6, 2015 15:31:22 GMT
Dozens of small, fiber-wrapped bundles discovered in a cave in Arizona have been found to contain wild tobacco, the first scientific evidence suggesting that Ancestral Puebloans of the prehistoric Southwest chewed tobacco for personal use, archaeologists say.
Such chewed bundles, known as quids, have been found throughout the Southwest, from Texas to California, often with teeth marks still visible. But what they contained, and what purpose they served, was uncertain until now.
“As wads of fibers, perhaps they haven’t produced as much excitement as they could have, before we realized ancient folks were actually putting substances inside them,” said Dr. Karen Adams of the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, who led the new study.
“Before we took this close look, I think prior explanations centered around ancient people sucking on quids during times of food stress, maybe to get some minor amounts of nutrients out of them.
“There have been a host of other suggestions for quid usage, too … such as ‘tea bags,’ dye bundles, and wash pads.”
The Arizona quids were originally excavated in the 1950s from a trash midden at the rear of Antelope Cave, a rocky enclave filled with artifacts left by Ancestral Puebloans over an extended period around 1,200 years ago.
The cave contained a wealth of materials such as arrows, basketry, and feathered ornaments, giving researchers unprecedented insights into an early phase of Puebloan culture sometimes referred to as the Virgin Anasazi.
But the quids remained unstudied, languishing in museum storage for half a century, until Keith Johnson of California State University, Chico, and his colleagues, took a closer look.
Johnson recalled taking note of the quids when he catalogued Antelope Cave’s artifacts for what would become UCLA’s Fowler Museum of Cultural History in 1960.
“We thought even then that some [of the quids] might include tobacco and noted this in the catalog,” he said.
“More than 50 years later, as I began to describe and analyze the quids as part of a broader study of the materials from Antelope Cave, I found that most of the quids in the collection contained tiny plant fragments.
“Not being a botanist, I turned to Karen for help.”
A total of 345 quids had been recovered from the cave, all but one of which were found in its midden of cast-off trash.
This suggested to the archaeologists that the quids were used informally by the cave’s inhabitants, rather than for ceremonial purposes.
(source & pictures at: westerndigs.org/1200-year-old-pouches-found-in-arizona-cave-contain-prehistoric-chewing-tobacco-study-finds/ )
Such chewed bundles, known as quids, have been found throughout the Southwest, from Texas to California, often with teeth marks still visible. But what they contained, and what purpose they served, was uncertain until now.
“As wads of fibers, perhaps they haven’t produced as much excitement as they could have, before we realized ancient folks were actually putting substances inside them,” said Dr. Karen Adams of the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, who led the new study.
“Before we took this close look, I think prior explanations centered around ancient people sucking on quids during times of food stress, maybe to get some minor amounts of nutrients out of them.
“There have been a host of other suggestions for quid usage, too … such as ‘tea bags,’ dye bundles, and wash pads.”
The Arizona quids were originally excavated in the 1950s from a trash midden at the rear of Antelope Cave, a rocky enclave filled with artifacts left by Ancestral Puebloans over an extended period around 1,200 years ago.
The cave contained a wealth of materials such as arrows, basketry, and feathered ornaments, giving researchers unprecedented insights into an early phase of Puebloan culture sometimes referred to as the Virgin Anasazi.
But the quids remained unstudied, languishing in museum storage for half a century, until Keith Johnson of California State University, Chico, and his colleagues, took a closer look.
Johnson recalled taking note of the quids when he catalogued Antelope Cave’s artifacts for what would become UCLA’s Fowler Museum of Cultural History in 1960.
“We thought even then that some [of the quids] might include tobacco and noted this in the catalog,” he said.
“More than 50 years later, as I began to describe and analyze the quids as part of a broader study of the materials from Antelope Cave, I found that most of the quids in the collection contained tiny plant fragments.
“Not being a botanist, I turned to Karen for help.”
A total of 345 quids had been recovered from the cave, all but one of which were found in its midden of cast-off trash.
This suggested to the archaeologists that the quids were used informally by the cave’s inhabitants, rather than for ceremonial purposes.
(source & pictures at: westerndigs.org/1200-year-old-pouches-found-in-arizona-cave-contain-prehistoric-chewing-tobacco-study-finds/ )