Discovering Mayan cooking secrets from the latrine

The Mayans invented a cooking process that could increase the nutritional properties of corn tenfold, this was discovered by experts when analyzing latrines in Guatemala.

These were discovered at the site of San Bartolo, Republic of Guatemala they date back to the classical period, around the 8th and 9th centuries BC.

Mayan pyramids.

This is the oldest evidence of the existence of a Mayan toilet in the world. Archaeologists first discovered tapeworm eggs there, suggesting that the Mayans were infected with diarrhea and weakness.

Along with that, they also discovered the "faucet" of the latrines was flushed with lime water. What is particularly interesting is that this lye was also used by the Mayans for the process of nixtamalization (softening of corn) or the removal of residues from the toilet.

Nixtamalization was the basis of ancient Mesoamerican cuisine, which used lime to treat corn to make it softer. The process involves soaking and cooking the corn kernels in a basic pH solution, which is used to soften the kernels.

 The Tzolk'in calendar is a sacred calendar, the divination calendar of the ancient Maya.

This modification of physical properties is still practiced today to make soups made from corn kernels or to grind them into a paste for tortillas and tamales.

This practice increases the maximum retention of nutrients such as calcium and vitamin B3 by 10 times from the corn and the dating of this millennial process from Central America makes it possible to understand one of the moist traditions. oldest of pre-Hispanic civilizations on this continent.

The Mayan latrine study was recently published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.