Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Aug 28;109(35):13944-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1208404109. Epub 2012 Aug 6.
Chemical analyses of organic residues in fragments of pottery from the large site of Cahokia and surrounding smaller sites in Illinois reveal theobromine, caffeine, and ursolic acid, biomarkers for species of Ilex (holly) used to prepare the ritually important Black Drink. As recorded during the historic period, men consumed Black Drink in portions of the American Southeast for ritual purification. This first demonstrated discovery of biomarkers for Ilex occurs in beaker vessels dating between A.D. 1050 and 1250 from Cahokia, located far north of the known range of the holly species used to prepare Black Drink during historic times. The association of Ilex and beaker vessels indicates a sustained ritual consumption of a caffeine-laced drink made from the leaves of plants grown in the southern United States.
对来自伊利诺伊州卡霍基亚大型遗址和周围较小遗址的陶器碎片中的有机残留物进行的化学分析显示出了可可碱、咖啡因和熊果酸，这些都是用于制备仪式上重要的“黑饮料”的冬青属（冬青）物种的生物标志物。在历史时期，人们在美东南地区的部分地区饮用黑饮料以进行仪式净化。这是首次在可追溯到公元 1050 年至 1250 年的卡霍基亚的敞口杯容器中发现冬青属生物标志物，而该地区远在历史时期用于制备黑饮料的冬青物种的已知分布范围以北。冬青属和敞口杯容器的关联表明，人们持续地在仪式上饮用一种用生长在美国南部的植物叶子制成的含咖啡因的饮料。
