Archaeology & History
Ancient Americans consumed 'vomit drink'
By
T.K. RandallAugust 8, 2012 ·
11 comments
Image Credit: CC 2.0 Jeremy Keith
A special type of caffeinated drink made from holly leaves was all the rage one thousand years ago.
Evidence of the drink was discovered at the site of the pre-Columbian settlement of Cahokia near the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Up to 50,000 people lived there between 1050 and 1350 AD and the infamous 'black drink' was part of their culture, it is believed that it may have been used as part of purification ceremonies.
"We're not sure when Native Americans stopped using black drink," said researcher Thomas Emerson. "I think its use went more into the closet, due to pressure from Europeans to drop pagan practices."
Caffeine-loaded black drinks apparently dominated the heartland of America earlier than once thought — a beverage neither coffee nor cola, but instead brewed from holly leaves, researchers say.
Source:
Fox News |
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