Prehistoric people knew how to use spices and chili to eat with ... human flesh

Scientists have discovered that 2,500 years ago, people living near the present area were Mexico City, grilled or boiled human flesh and spices like chili and a saffron seedling.

2,500 years ago, prehistoric people knew how to use spices and chili to eat with . human flesh

They discovered this when observing the color of ancient human bone fragments , which had been subjected to the above spice, for permanent discoloration. The discovery has just been published in an article in the Archaeometry Science Weekly.

Human bones were discovered in archaeological holes in Mexico (Source: DM)

The team of researchers, from the University of Ciudad in Mexico and the Complutense in Madrid, studied the remains of 18 people in Tlatelcomila, an archaeological site near the Mexican capital .

They include skull bones and many other long bones, dating from about 700 to 500 BC.

These bone fragments have many scribbles, showing signs of having gone through great temperatures. These are evidence that cannibalism exists in Tlatelcomila.

But what interests scientists more is the red and yellow colors that appear on bone fragments. It was these colors that helped them to find the clue about how the ancient cannibal tribes prepared and cooked 'food '.

'These colors were formed before the bones were buried, possibly through the effects of heat or by some organic substances ' - they wrote in the study.

The researchers observed the microstructure, morphology and bone surface. Using X-ray and electron microscopy techniques during the study, they also realized which bones were once baked and which bones were boiled.

With pieces of bone that have been boiled, the bone surface shows uniformity and does not see any abnormally degraded black spots (like bones that have been baked on fire).

They believe that bright red bones belong to victims who have been cooked on fire. The red color formed from gravy and blood, was absorbed into the bone when the temperature increased.

Meanwhile yellow bones seem to have boiled. Yellow color comes from annatto spices, saffron varieties and pipián spices. These spices are still in use until now, in the famous mole sauce in Mexico.

To prove the results of the study, experts boiled beef bones in the country annatto. The result is a bone of the same color as human bones found in Tlatelcomila.

'The surface color of the once boiled Tlatelcomila bones formed by the combination of temperature, cooking time and ingredients in liquid soup pot' - study wrote.

This study is important because it shows that Mexican cannibals share this marinated recipe to make some other dishes without human flesh.

Research does not indicate who is responsible for implementing this behavior. However, this is not the first time that evidence has been found of cannibalism in Mexico.

In 2011, scientists also found some pieces of human bones showing signs of cooking. The test showed that these bone fragments date back to about 1425. The Tlatelcomila bone fragments date to an older age, suggesting that cannibalism has a long history.

At the time of the discovery of the flesh-and-bones fragments of victims in 2011, archaeologist José Luis Punzo of the Institute of Anthropology and Mexican History said that cannibalism was ' an important aspect in the village. Cultural identity of the ancient people.

'Through the rituals, through the human cannibalism and bone storage of the victims, they have drawn a clear boundary between' them 'and' us', " he said.

It is known that an ancient tribe in Mexico named Xiximes often eats people for spiritual purposes. They believed that they would have a good harvest if they ate the enemy's soul and body - often those of other tribes living nearby - then hung their bones on trees to sacrifice ghosts.

Therefore, after every corn harvest, Xiximes warriors hunted human flesh. Victims who are ambushed and attacked by them are often those who work alone, deep in the forests.