Chocolate in Central American Pottery from 3,100 Years Ago

Chocolate has been around a long time, but its origins - when it was first used- are shrouded in mystery and may never be fully discovered.

Recently some Cornell University archaeologists were doing some work in Central America. They dug up some 3,100 year-old pottery. In it they discovered traces of a chemical compound that is only found in the cacao plant. The source of chocolate is cacao.

The ancient inhabitants of Central America, the Mesoamericans, used this sort of pottery for liquids. The theory is that they made a beverage from cacao, fermented from the pulp. This was not a chocolate drink as we know it, which is made from the cacao seeds.

It is thought that this fermented beverage was highly valued and was served on important social or religious occasions.

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