Finding the Chocolate

Dr. W. Jeffrey Hurst in his laboratory at Hershey Foods Corporation. Photo by Dr. W. Jeffrey Hurst.

Residue analysis revealed traces of theobromine and caffeine, two elements that prove these two vessels had once held cacao. The cylinder may have been a drinking vessel. The bowl, found with an obsidian knife in it, may have contained either raw beans or the paste used in cacao beverages. The crack in the cylinder occurred during fabrication, but was mended and marked with a line of paint.