Ancient Mayan Pottery and their Secrets: The Río Azul Vessel

When scholars consider the earliest threads in the story of cacao’s consumption by humans during the Classic Maya time period, it is easy to refer to textual sources to study cacao’s presence. For example, the Popol Vuh and Dresden Codex provide a clear look into cacao’s origins and spread (Coe and Coe 2013). However, analyzing artifacts and material objects such as vessels can speak great lengths to the functionality and significance of cacao in Maya society. Through close analysis and research of the Río Azul cacao funerary vessel, the findings extend cacao’s story further into history by allowing scholars to redefine and enhance their understanding of cacao’s significance in Classic Maya society.

Río Azul vessel, front and back (Hall 1990)

To examine why the Río Azul vessel, and more broadly pottery and vessels, assume historical significance in Classic Maya society, one must look both within and outside such objects. Although details surrounding Mayan life were relatively opaque as a result of Spanish conquest, recent examination of hieroglyphs on the exterior of the Río Azul vessel has provided a giant stride forward in understanding cacao’s role in Maya society (Coe and Coe 2013). On the exterior of the vessel, there are several hieroglyphs that ornate the body as seen in the image above. Upon first inspection, these hieroglyphs reveal broad information about elements of Classic Maya society such as their writing system, artistic tendencies, and artisan traditions (Martin 2020).

Through further investigation by Mayanist David Stuart in 1984, Stuart recognized a pattern of reoccurring glyphs on the vessel that spell out kakaw (Ewbank 2019). The glyphs for this term on the exterior of the ceramic resemble a fish with fins, as depicted by the image below.

The “fish” hieroglyph that depicts chocolate, as drawn by David Stuart (Authentic Maya)

According to Mayanist Floyd Lounsbury, these hieroglyphs were meant to be interpreted as phonetic signs, signifying that each image within the glyph was associated with an auditory representation. The fins were associated with ka, while the fish icon was associated with ka and the ending, -w(a) (Coe and Coe 2013). When combined, Stuart realized this meant kakaw, or cacao. This revelation led him to believe that the Río Azul vessel was a container for the cacao beverage.

Some Mayanists believed that ceramic vessels found in the Classic Maya period symbolically represented religious orations and prayers, while others argued that these vessels held little to no significance (Ewbank 2019). Despite these differing perspectives, Stuart’s groundbreaking discovery afforded a great deal of information to researchers because it revealed the true use of certain Classic Maya pottery: vessels for cacao consumption.

In order to confirm Stuart’s findings, analysis of the interior of the Rio Azul vessel was necessary. According to Jeffrey Hurst, a chemist at Hershey Food Corporation Technical Center, “the only organic material or plant in all of ancient America that can produce caffeine and theobromine together is cacao” (Ewbank 2019). After identification of the vessel’s residue and testing of the residue’s chemical composition, two substances were isolated: caffeine and theobromine (Presilla 2009).

This innovative discovery allowed researchers to redefine their understanding of the relationship between cacao and Classic Mayans. Rather than being ornated with meaningless hieroglyphs or religious orations, as some academics originally thought, the Río Azul vessel reflected the multilateral use of cacao in Classic Maya society. For example, other hieroglyphs on the Río Azul vessel refer to the owner of the vessel itself, which in this case was K’inich Lakamtuun (Coe and Coe 2013). Due to the information brought by the Río Azul vessel and its hieroglyphs, Lakamtuun was discovered to be an early ruler of the Río Azul region who likely traded the vessel for other goods (Presilla 2009). It can be assumed that elite members of Classic Maya society such as kings and other royalty not only valued the cacao they consumed, but the medium through which cacao was used in society also assumed importance.

Mesoamerican woman pours chocolate beverage from one cacao vessel to another (Princeton University)

Moreover, analysis of the Río Azul vessel was crucial to the early scholarship on cacao’s history because it influenced many researchers to begin studying Classic Maya ceramics and other forms of pottery for their cacao content. As more academics grew interest in Classic Maya vessels, it became clear that cacao, as represented as the hieroglyphic kakaw, was one of the most common visual representations on ceramic objects from this time period (Ewbank 2019). As a result, the Río Azul vessel and its hieroglyphs were now being used as a reference point for deciphering many other Classic Maya pottery, which had never been done before. Mayanist David Stuart writes, “much of the progress seen in the 1980s and early ‘90s was attributed to the study of repetitious and highly formulaic pottery texts seen on the Río Azul vessel” (Ewbank 2019).

It is inevitable that pottery and other forms of stoneware for the consumption of cacao were commonplace during the Classic Maya period. Needless to say, the Río Azul vessel offered various, critical glimpses into the cultural importance and societal use of cacao in the Classic Maya period. This singular vessel was able to act as a primary archival source of hieroglyphic data and translation for the examination of hundreds of other ceramics sourced from Classic Maya society. Discovery of the ubiquity of the kakaw figure pioneered the ways in which scholars deciphered hieroglyphs (Presilla 2019), and this discovery went as far as disproving previous hypotheses that predicted the meaning of these glyphs (Ewbank 2019).

The anthropological, historical, and cultural insights drawn from close analysis of this artifact helped clarify some of the complexity and ambiguity surrounding cacao’s history. The Río Azul vessel remains a pillar for the advancement of scholarship regarding the Classic Maya relationship with cacao, and the historical significance of this vessel in reconstructing and redefining the significance of cacao cannot be overlooked.

Works Cited:

Coe, Michael D. and Sophie D. Coe. The True History of Chocolate, 3rd edition. London: Thames and Hudson, 2013.

Ewbank, Anne. Archaeologists, Mayanists, and Hershey’s Collaborated to Reveal This Ancient Vessel’s Secrets. Atlas Obscura, 2019. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/mayan-chocolate

Martin, Carla. Lecture 1: Introduction. Lecture, January 29, 2020.

Presilla, Maricel. The New Taste of Chocolate, Revised: A Cultural & Natural History of Cacao with Recipes. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2009.

Multimedia Sources:

“Authentic Maya.” The Maya and the Ka’kau’. Image. http://www.authenticmaya.com/cacao.htm. Accessed 14 Mar. 2020.

Hall, Grant D., et al. “Cacao Residues in Ancient Maya Vessels from Rio Azul, Guatemala.” American Antiquity, vol. 55, no. 1, 1990. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/281499. Accessed 12 Mar. 2020.

“The Princeton Vase (y1975-17).” Princeton University, The Trustees of Princeton University, http://www.artmuseum.princeton.edu/collections/objects/32221. Accessed 10 Mar. 2020.

From Earthy to Elegant: The Evolution of the Chocolate Pot

 

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Chocolate drinks created from cacao beans date back to the Mesoamericans many centuries ago. In fact, researchers have identified an instance where cacao residue was found on a pottery shard at the archeological site of the  Paso de la Amada village occupied by the Mokaya people dating to 1900 to 1500 BC (Presilla 10). Serving vessels used for the precious chocolate elixir created from cacao have varied over time. As the various ingredients for labor intensive chocolate beverages have evolved, so have the vessels that were blessed with the liquid.

Ancient Barra ceramics- oldest know chocolate vessels (dated to 1900-1500 BC) (Coe and Coe 89)

The early chocolate vessels of the Mesoamerican culture were crafted of ceramics and adorned with colorful designs and hieroglyphics. Specific hieroglyphics offered a hint of Mayan life depicting images that represented parts of their culture. Through scientific analysis, chemist W. Jeffrey Hurst of the Hershey Company determined that both theobromine and caffeine were detected in a jar discovered in a Rio Azul tomb in Guatemala, evidence that cacao had been contained in the vessel (Presilla 9). Cacao is the only Mesoamerican plant that contains both theobromine and caffeine (Coe and Coe 36). In the image below, the hieroglyphic for cacao is labeled on the exterior of the jar, another telltale sign that it contained chocolate at one time (Martin). The clever locking lid on the burial object was an industrious way to keep the sacred chocolate beverage safe and secure. Not only was the vessel sturdy and functional, it also boasts a lovely shape where the lid can be likened to a halo or crown, perhaps worthy of an important person or ruler buried in the tomb.

Chocolate jar with locked-lid found in a Rio Azul tomb, dated to ca. 500 A.D.

Fast forward to 1125 AD and the shape of the vessels appeared to have changed. As pictured in the image below, the jars were taller and cylindrical in nature. Black and white jars attributed to that era found in the New Mexican Pueblo Bonito offer evidence of the influence of the Mesoamericans and their trade between the Toltec merchants (Coe and Coe 55). Archeologist Patricia Crown of the University of New Mexico sought confirmation from W. Jeffrey Hurst that sherds from the cylindrical jars from New Mexican Pueblo Bonito trash mound contained elements of cacao (Coe and Coe 55). Hurst confirmed that the sherds (dating between 1000 and 1125 AD) tested positive for theobromine, sufficient confirmation that the Anasazi elite, ancestors of the Pueblo Indians drank chocolate from these vessels (Coe and Coe 55).

 

Cylindrical jar from Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon.

Credit: James Garber

As the Spanish invaded Mesoamerica, their influence on the native culture was undeniable and the ritual of chocolate drinking was no exception. In the pre-Conquest days, Mesoamericans raised foam on a chocolate beverage by the simple task of pouring the chocolate beverage from one vessel to another (Coe and Coe 85). In the early 16th century the molinillo, a wooden stick, was used to twirl the liquid to form a foam on the top, a method still used today in some preparations in Mexico and Latin America. However, in the post-Conquest era, vessels that held chocolate beverages changed and spanned a broad range of designs that were both functional and fashionable.

Chocolate was introduced to the United Kingdom  during the third quarter of the 17th century (Mintz 108). At that time, craftsman designed chocolate pots that were appropriate for both the liquid and the elite drinkers.  In addition to ceramic or porcelain, chocolate pots evolved to include pewter, silver and even gold.

18th Century silver British chocolatière

The image above  represents a pot with an adjustable finial that can be removed to allow the insertion of a stirring rod, the British version of a molinillo.  This shiny design is representative of a delicate serving pot that nods to the refined practice of serving chocolate to the British elite.

In contrast to the British pot, the image below represents a design created by Edward Winslow, an 18th century American silversmith from Boston, Massachusetts. Unlike the delicate three legged British pot, Winslow’s handsome pot is constructed with a solid base, perhaps indicative of the sturdiness required of early colonists in the new world.

Early 18th century silver chocolate pot 

If we compare the image of the Barra ceramics in the first image and the last photo of the Winslow chocolate pot, it is hard to believe they were used for the same purpose. The striking difference of the rich warm colors of the rounded ceramic vessels versus the hard cold metal of the 18th century pots are quite opposite and distinct.

Just as the chocolate vessels have evolved over time so has the desire or lack thereof for chocolate beverages. Regardless of the type of chocolate pot, the prominence of drinking chocolate in North America and Europe began to wane at the beginning of the 20th century when solid chocolate first appeared. Chocolate aficionados  seem to prefer the quick fix of a chocolate bar that can satiate chocolate desire without spending time on the ritual and lengthy preparation of a chocolate beverage and need for chocolate pots.

                 Works Cited

Coe, Sophie D., and Michael D. Coe. The true history of chocolate. London: Thames & Hudson, 2013. Print.

Martin, Carla D. “Mesoamerica and the “food of the gods”.” Harvard University, Cambridge. 1 Feb. 2017. Lecture

Mintz, Sidney W. Sweetness and power : the place of sugar in modern history. New York: Penguin Books, 1986. Print.

Mcgovern, Pat. “RioAzul Chocolate-Pot.” Flickr. Yahoo!, 17 Nov. 2009. Web. 10 Mar. 2017. <https://www.flickr.com/photos/patmcgovern/4113214840/in/photolist-7gtitf&gt;.

Parry, Wynne. “Sweet Trading: Chocolate May Have Linked Prehistoric Civilizations.” LiveScience. Purch, 01 Apr. 2011. Web. 10 Mar. 2017. <http://www.livescience.com/13533-prehistoric-chocolate-trade-cacao-chaco-canyon-puebloans.html&gt;.

Presilla, Maricel E. The new taste of chocolate : a cultural and natural history of cacao with recipes. Berkeley Calif: Ten Speed Press, 2009. Print.

“Chocolate Pot | Edward Winslow | 33.120.221 | Work of Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art.” The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2017. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/33.120.221/&gt;.

Digital image. Chocolate Pot. Wikimedia Commons, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2017. <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph-Th%C3%A9odore_Van_Cauwenbergh_-_Chocolate_Pot_-_Walters_571802.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Chocolate in North America

In our month of chocolate studies, I found myself interested in the trade of cacao from the Aztec and Mayan perspectives. I grew interested in how extensive trade routes were between such ancient civilizations and the distances they reached. Not only distance, but also the impact of the cultural importance of cacao to far away civilizations, such as North America. In North America, the earliest traces of cacao were found in New Mexico and only a few years later in Utah.

Pictured above is some of the first ceramic jars, pitchers, and mugs that contained cacao found in New Mexico. This pottery dates back to the 8th century and was located in the Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.

The distribution of cacao cultivation in Central America and Mexico in 1520 BCE, relative to Chaco Canyon. [2]

So how did cacao reach northern New Mexico? We have few clues as to how it reached North America, and one is looking at the history of the Mayan’s and Aztec’s. Around the 8th century, the great city of Teotihuacan fell, which was one of the largest cities in the Mayan civilization. The destruction of this city caused many of its inhabitants to move and they moved to new regions. This was also around the time that the Aztecs were gaining power and rule over Mesoamerica. Through the move and invasion of a new civilization trade routes grew extensively.

Many archeologists and anthropologists have studied the design and shape of the jars they found to try to accurately date the pieces. The jars found in New Mexico are tall, has thin walls, the base of it is white, and had black lines painted on it. If we compare these pieces used in the Olmec, Mayan, and Aztec civilizations we will see that it is not as easy as we may think.

Olmec Drinking Vessel

The first comparison will be with the Olmec people.The Olmecs generally drank from neckless jars.The base of these jars were generally white with brown patterns decorating the jar.

Mayan Drinking Vessel

Second, the Mayans drank from cylindrical jars. They almost always contained hieroglyphics on them indicating that cacao was consumed in this jar.

Aztec Drinking Vessel

Lastly, the Aztecs jars generally drank from wide, round mugs. Many of the mugs were designed with handles.

When comparing the three drinking vessels with the three large civilizations, with ones found in New Mexico, they resemble the Mayan cups the most.However, their unusual design and style indicate that the Chacoan people hybridized their cacao consumption to their customs.

The way the Chacoan cacao drinking vessels were found indicates the purpose of cacao in their society. The vessels were found all buried in the same place, in several rooms, of a once building. This would indicate that not everyone had access to cacao and was mainly used for ceremonies. This would indicate that cacao was consumed communally and not in the individuals own home, on a daily basis. Also, since no vessels were found buried individually, that contained traces of cacao, in graves, this indicates that it was not a drink for everyone.

Returning to the discussion of trade of cacao in North America, archeologist have never found cacao shells in the Chacoan Canyon. This would lead us to believe that cacao was traded in their disk form, for long lasting and easy transport. If we look once again at the map of Mesoamerica, the closest possible cacao growing region would be the Pacific Gulf Coast of Mexico. It would make sense that trade of fresh cacao would have never made the journey to northern New Mexico. However, it is most likely that the cacao was not grown in this area, and was actually coming from southern Mexico or Ecuador.

There are still a lot of questions to be answered about cacao in North America. However, we are certain that the trade routes of the Mayans and Aztecs were very extensive and would have brought cacao to North America.

Works Cited:

[1], [2] Crown, P. L., Hurst, J. (2008). Evidence of Cacao Use in the Prehispanic American Southwest. Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences in United States of America, 106(7). Retrieved from http://www.pnas.org/content/106/7/2110.full.

[3] Authentic Maya online gallery. Retrieved from http://www.authenticmaya.com/la_blanca.htm

[4] Professor Carla Martin’s slides. Lecture 2, slide 23.

[5] University of Colorado Museum of Natural History. Retrieved from http://cumuseum.colorado.edu/

Crown, P. L. (2008). Chocolate; Consumption & Cuisine from Chaco to Colonial New Mexico. El Palacio. Retrieved from http://www.elpalacio.org/articles/winter12/chocolate.pdf.

Watson, T. (2013). Earliest Evidence of Chocolate in North America. Science Magazine. Retrieved from http://news.sciencemag.org/2013/01/earliest-evidence-chocolate-north-america.