The oldest evidence of tobacco use

20. 10. 2021
6th international conference of exopolitics, history and spirituality

Excavations at a hunter's camp in the Great Desert of Utah have uncovered the oldest evidence of tobacco use. The discovery took place in a place called Wishbone. During the excavations, scientists discovered a camp that was used by prehistoric hunters and gatherers 12 years ago.

The oldest evidence of tobacco use in North America

Found was an ancient fireplace, a spear, and a collection of tobacco seeds. Archaeologist Daron Duke was particularly interested in four charred seeds that came from wild tobacco plants. Due to their discovery, this finding is the oldest known evidence of tobacco use in North America.

Explore Wishbone

The first survey of the Wishbone site took place in 2015. In the early stages, the team focused on thousands of acres of land that had not been explored before. When archaeologists returned in 2016, they focused more on the area, where they had previously found a collection of more than 60 objects. Thanks to this finding, we have an idea of ​​what hunters and gatherers ate in the Ice Age.

In 2015, Duke also announced the stunning discovery of mammoth remains. This was evidence of the occurrence of mammoths at this site. Even the tools discovered in this area were dated to the Ice Age, when the temperature was on average 10-15 degrees colder than now.

How did hunters and gatherers use tobacco?

Scientists are not sure exactly how ancient North American hunters and gatherers used tobacco. Whether they smoked or chewed tobacco. The study also revealed that Native Americans smoked plants other than tobacco in their pipes. The study examined an old pipe from the past (today's Washington area) with a new technology known as "metabolomics analysis" that can provide more data than the traditional biomarker method. Previously, tobacco was mixed with other plants to improve the taste of tobacco or for medicinal purposes.

Similar articles