More Than a Drink: Chocolate in the Pre-Columbian World

Coe is the Charles J. MacCurdy Professor of Anthropology, Emeritus at Yale University. He is recognized for his work in the field of the ethnohistory of Mesoamerica, the historical archaeology of northeastern United States, and writing systems. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Anthropological Institute, and the Mexican Society of Anthropology. Born in New York in 1929, Coe received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1959. He began his academic career as an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee (1958-1960), after which he joined the Yale University faculty. Coe has authored numerous world-renowned books on Mesoamerica including Breaking the Maya Code (1992). This book constitutes an informed account of one of the most exciting adventures of our age, the extraordinary breakthrough in deciphering the inscribed remains of Mayan monuments. Coe's other works include The Maya (1966), America's First Civilization: Discovering the Olmec (1968), and The True History of Chocolate (1996).

[@lisathomas1622]

Thanks for not turning off your comments. I find it very ironic when universities such as Yale, and museums, such as Science Museum of Boston do so. Why wouldn’t they want them on?

[@jimmygarciagaricia4108]

Damn real question!!!!👍

[@johnraynor489]

@@jimmygarciagaricia4108 Just go to any KZbin lecture on Egyptology, and you'll find plenty of comments about "ancient astronauts," hieroglyphic evidence for light bulbs and helicopters, and arguments about the racial nature of Pharaonic-era Egyptian people. 🙄

[@jimmygarciagaricia4108]

@@johnraynor489 That's kool!.

[@thealgonquin5822]

Because most of these is horse feathers.

[@leonorlizardo9174]

I read his books on Mesoamerica while taking a Pre Colombian class in 1990. What a great Professor and I learned so much about chocolate. He speaks Spanish without an accent.

[@egseven]

Passion. Expression of self . Beautiful.

[@alanschannel1495]

Mixe-Zoque 1500 BCE - Aztec 1200 CE. Very different time zones mate…

[@leesingwong2102]

Mmm mmm chocolate...I think I was a Mayan in a previous life......

[@tourdegadetheskankslayer1065]

Amazing! i even enjoyed the Q&A at the end. His speech was packed with information down to the last second. thankyou!

[@judypetree2589]

Excellent lecture! He makes the fruit of a tree the most interesting tree in the Americas. Thank you for posting this.

[@claudiaclaudia936]

Everything came from AMERUKHAN LAND.

[@Thoth1024]

Thanks for posting this video. Very enlightening presentation about this fascinating subject. Will share with others that also would learn about the topic...

[@gabrielsandoval4994]

Very instructive. I learned more in 1 hour about chocolate than I have in the last few years. Thank you for your knowledge

[@claudiaclaudia936]

It's a WHITE hijacking real TRUE history ......

[@buzzpatch2294]

know this was a while ago but glad you made this- i learned a lot thx

[@leespruell8817]

I was totally captivated --- thank you.

[@simhifree2416]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge It's a wonderful presentation

[@nccruising6851]

Excellent lecture

[@BoboZimbabwe]

I like this fellow. Smart, funny, informative.

[@from-Texas]

Best lecture on chocolate and the Mayan. Thank you!

[@cat_terrell]

No it isnt

[@jimmygarciagaricia4108]

The Aztecs invented chocolate.

[@asianthor]

Mesoamerica is where chocolate was first consumed. In San Bartolo, Guatemala, there is a mural from 300-400 BC where it was first recorded on a painting.

[@jimmygarciagaricia4108]

No.

[@claudiaclaudia936]

@@jimmygarciagaricia4108 brainwashed jimmy🤔

[@thealgonquin5822]

Chocolate, especially cocoa, is much older.

[@charleskristiansson1296]

Professor Coe is such a wonderful academic.

[@oriettabuezo2542]

Excellent lecture !!

[@labfixit]

I have a reprint of the book about the daily life of the Aztecs. I really like the part where he mentioned that public drunkenness by public officials was punishable by death. It's a shame we don't such laws for our politicians in the West.

[@TimeToEvolve101]

Terrific talk thank you

[@jeanettewaverly2590]

Dr. Patricia Crown has researched cacao use in the Chaco culture of northwest New Mexico and is writing a book about it.

[@obzidianbladez2873]

Awesome Lecture on Xocolotl!

[@jakewhoskate]

Rest easy, sir. Your work is helping me learn about my amazing Mesoamerican culture.

[@jimmygarciagaricia4108]

Native American?, Culture???

[@jakewhoskate]

@@jimmygarciagaricia4108 Yup I get youre trying to minimize our culture but who do you think domesticated corn, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes and peppers and more?? Corn is the most widely grown crop in the world.

[@jakewhoskate]

@@jimmygarciagaricia4108 Did you ignore the entire lecture??? Lmfao

[@jimmygarciagaricia4108]

@@jakewhoskate Thanks to Mexico.

[@jimmygarciagaricia4108]

@@jakewhoskate Minimize??????, No.

[@theahollett8758]

He did not mention once, the use of the frothy cacao medicine used for shamanic journeying, which was why the bean was so valued. The greater the head, the better the journey. Coe obviously did not make that journey or he would have entered the underworld and met his own nagual. How can one talk about it if he hasn't tried it? The recipe still exists. Coe's wife must have known about it if she was a culinary anthropologist. Montecazuma gave us the recipe known today, which has in it spices that must have come from the Spaniards. And makes about the amount that would fit in the cacao 'vase'. From that, about 3 journeys could be made if the head was frothed again as much as possible before each pouring into a cup. It is not bitter, it just is not sweet.

[@popolvuh3612]

Interesting. Sounds like you've had encounters with the nagual, to borrow Castanedas verbiage. Although Coe doesn't mention its entheogenic use, an audience member @ 1:12:02 asks if it was ever used in shamanism. However, Coe readily dismisses this claim. If you listen to his other lecture on the Maya script @ 1:04:50, he describes your nagual as an alter ego or spiritual counterpart. He humorously says if he would ever take a journey, for "slobs" like him, he might be a rat or gopher.

[@bobs5596]

1:12:00 ''no hallucinatory substance in chocolate. they may have mixed mushrooms with it.'' you didn't stay for the questions.

[@notsocrates9529]

I guess that negates all of his years of research, traveling, writing, and studying that culture and how cacao had a sacred place. What a waste of everyone's time, if only your comment was pinned so that we could all save ourselves the time. You should be on KZbin, not this guy who didn't even know about shamans or possibly ever heard of psilocybin mushrooms in his decades of study of Mesoamerican civilization. Where is your presentation? I would love to see it.

[@krystalwhitfield4980]

Llll

[@janegarner6739]

Thea Hollett. If this recipe was passed down from Motecozhoma, it couldn't contain spices brought by the Spaniards-- unless M. learned of these spices during the short time before his death. While it's possible he could've learned of spices from Cortes or his retinue during their meetings prior to the Sp. seizure & imprisonment of M., it seems highly unlikely (if not impossible) that M. would've made changes in an ancient recipe to include foreign spices about which he & his people would've had no experience in using. The Aztec/Mexica had a very highly developed pharmocoepia, partly passed on to them from more ancient cultures & partly developed by Aztec/Mexica specialists, with their knowledge of psychedelic substances now thought to have been far more advanced than what is known by modern western science. Unfortunately, the Eur. invaders made great efforts to destroy the native libraries & knowledge, vast destruction that continued through colonialist times. After the Sp. conquest of Tenochtitlan (the Aztec/Mexica 'capitol' of some 200,000 citizens), which resulted in the deaths of at least half the residents), the Sp. forces killed any survivors they identified as native 'priests', with orders given to hunt down & kill any native priests in the land. The native priests were very highly educated in various fields, with some priests specializing in pharmacology. Motecazhoma had studied to be a 'high priest' before becoming the principal leader of his people & would have been quite knowledgeable about substances used in psychedelic formulas. And it's possible that formulas known to M. & his contemporaries were secretly passed on to their surviving descendants, but this would've been kept secret from outsiders for at least another century or more, as knowledge of such things was punishable by death in Colonial Mexico. Native books, art, etc, were as a rule destroyed by the invaders & colonizers, as anything to do with native spirituality was considered the work of the Devil & was destroyed if found. Natives who were 'priests', 'medicine men', etc, among the Aztec/Mexica as well as among all other native peoples, were either killed outright or tried by Sp. courts & as a rule put to death. Cacao was probably used in various mixtures that might well have included psychedelic substances, but cacao itself is not a hallucinogen, at least in the sense that mescaline & other such substances are. Cacao does of course have noticable effects on human mood & perhaps it has effects about which we know nothing, but there's no evidence of it having psychedelic effects. (Of course it's possible that it has effects we don't know of, especially when mixed into formulas known to the native peoples. Aztec/Mexica pharmacology was very highly developed during the time of Motecazhoma.) It still amazes me to hear non-natives claiming to have knowledge such as that you claim, especially when they claim to know secrets not known by natives. Not that some outsiders haven't been taught by native specialists-- but to.become privy to special knowledge, a person usually has to learn to live as a member of a native society. Centuries of severe persecution of those practicing any native spirituality has resulted not only in great loss of knowledge but in great secrecy in protecting native people who practice the old ways. For example, in the US it was illegal to practice native religions until the mid-1980s, when the UN & Eur. allies pressured the US to decriminalize it. BTW, the idea that Motecazhoma invented a new formula for cocoa during the brief time he spent with Cortes (mostly as a prisoner isolated from his ministers & people) reveals an extreme lack of knowledge about the 1519-1521 invasion & conquest. Aztec-Mexica pharmacologists were superb at inventing formulas to influence the human mind & not all of these formulas included hallucinogens. Cocao has certain effects on emotion certainty & may well have been mixed with hallucinogens, but the idea that this secret formula you speak of was passed down from M. & was invented during his last days to include spices brought bt the Spaniards & that this secret formula somehow ended up here....sorry, it is just too much a stretch to consider seriously, unless there is more evidence.

[@RobertoChavezJr-os6rg]

Amazing happy to know and learn.Like..📝

[@yvonnekeogh9845]

One of my favourite hot beverages: cacao, chillies and hot water - add peppermint teabag for a twist.

[@QuartzDiamond86]

I like the add dill spice. Nothing else. I think it gives it a humorous or interesting accent.No other kitchen herb no.

[@ricvibesinc1]

Loose the chillies .. find a bit a pepper then..

[@ricvibesinc1]

@@QuartzDiamond86 sprinkle in a bit a nutmeg ,cinnamon a couple a cardamon seeds.. healthy spicy hot choc

[@otiskorner9544]

Damn gringos. Keep simple, Cristo Dios mio

[@jimmygarciagaricia4108]

@@ricvibesinc1 No.

[@alienworthreich6175]

Rest in Peace, Michael!

[@garafanvou6586]

Grinding seeds for confection has always been a human passtime

[@Linguiphile]

It is believed that the Mixean and Zoquean languages had already split by the time Olmec civilization developed. The Olmec who preceded the Maya are appear to have spoken an early Mixean language. It has been found that various words associated with higher MesoAmerican culture were borrowed by the Maya from what must have been an early Mixean language. One such word is /pom/, meaning 'incense'.

[@Prophesized1]

maybe they used a the cacau as a base ingredient for ayahuasca, since dmt is in everything.

[@liquidthreads1702]

Mushrooms and Chocolate go together like celery onions and garlic . :)

[@liquidthreads1702]

@Rhizosphere mushrooms by themselves taste like shit add chocolate and its heavenly

[@terranrepublic7023]

RIP Prof Coe, a truly learned scholar who knows what he is talking about, they don't make them like him anymore, look at all those "archaeologists" today, lol

[@DrawMaster115]

he was onto it man

[@ght.s1732]

wish i could find those images in UHD

[@ght.s1732]

AMAZINGI!

[@claudiaclaudia936]

You're welcome SWISS 🗺

[@kristinessTX]

Such a sweet man...I want to be loved by my husband like that,

[@sheepdog4404]

XOCOLATL

[@johnnymccoy4311]

Original to EVERY LAND

[@Linguiphile]

Very interesting. There are too many videos in KZbin that give fanciful, politically correct, or paranormal histories of the Americas. It's nice to see one by a real historian, using real data.

[@xsiri3022]

Mayan vs African 28:00 Fish Africa - Kōās' Mayan - Ca Conclusion COCOWA, COWACO

[@ThompPL1]

39:10 . . . Forgot to complete this story : Before beheading and after horrifying public torture, sacrifices were subjected to having their living hearts removed *still beating* while fully awake for burnt offering, then quartered for *consumption* by local dignitaria, and remaining torso and extracted entrails fed to animals ! Heads were placed on racks like trophy memorials over many weeks for townsfolk to ponder.

[@bigchieftrucker9757]

Just on the surface, chocolate doesn't seem to be just a sweet treat..Saw no place where sugar was added. Chocolate is some nasty stuff without sugar. So they cut it with sugar to make more money and preserve the limited supply of the drug. It seems it was a narcotic drink like many plant concoctions of south America. Perhaps the down fall of these civilisations was due to addiction to chocolate. It was the ancient meth of the day. Seems to be a cousin of Hyawaska, and coca or cocaine leaves. I can tell you it was much much stronger than the diluted chocolate of today. They keep putting less and less of the active ingredient that make it real chocolate in our candy.

[@zmonay333]

Ayahuasca

[@jimmygarciagaricia4108]

@Rhizosphere Very healthy!

[@BrunoCasilliBerardi]

MAAAAN!!! I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY CHOCOLATEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@alanschannel1495]

Love how he glazed over the slave era. Without slaves we woulnt have modern chocolate

[@Roberto-ot7tk]

I like chocolate over tamales.

[@DaViiloW805]

From California to Chiapas mesoamerica love and pride 🇲🇽🇺🇲

[@jimmygarciagaricia4108]

Oregon

[@skepticalgenious]

Who is watching this after hearing Terrence Mkeena?

[@liquidthreads1702]

Im sorry this sounds like a chocolate mushroom tea. Only takes a cup !

[@alanschannel1495]

10 minutes in. Not once did he mention Olmec, Mokaya, Popoluca, Popo, Southern Veracruz, Coatzacoalcos, etc…

[@diegoleon6422]

Hi. Popolocas are actually in Puebla. The last people of this culture 😢

[@francogaldamez6732]

The cacao or chocolhab ( maya) or xocolatl( nahuatl) it was origined at western regions sonsonate nahuatl pipil people.

[@widewinger1454]

*Tartaria*

[@Ck-zk3we]

Cacao is from the Amazon and was imported to the Guatamalan coast

[@jimmygarciagaricia4108]

No. Mexicano.

[@jimmygarciagaricia4108]

Mexico.

[@jeremycrochtiere6317]

Experience a Sacred Cocao Ceremony and you'll understand how this knowledge came to their civilization

[@modernmonk3676]

It does taste almost like baby coconuts fleshy semi dry by moist. 😋😋😋😋😋

[@jimksa67]

Is child slavery is used to harvest these pods?

[@HOPROPHETA]

Cacawhat means peanut.

[@ynigayrana5911]

Hello, please watch the Shadow of the tomb raider!

[@annaandersson319]

1:07:18 This guy just wants a fight. Dude calm down

[@terranrepublic7023]

You can tell by his accent that he's not American, thus lacking the proper manner an educated Westerner would have when asking questions in an academic environment such as this one. But I guess you can't blame anyone for anything nowadays other than saying "we shall tolerate his cultural background" or else you are the R word (take a wild guess which word it is) lmao

[@khubza8999]

@@terranrepublic7023I was going to use the R word on you myself... It is unfortunate that the speaker gets very defensive about the questioner who called attention that chocolate was mixed with blood. Actually, this is important because of the allegations of cannibalism that were used to justify the conquest.

[@terranrepublic7023]

​@@khubza8999 Oh no... you called me the R word, my head is gonna explode, my family will now disown me, I will die in shame and penniless! LMAO, I don't care WTF you call me, nor should anyone that have basic common sense and know who they actually are. The problem with the U.S. today is they care too much about what people think of them, trying calling a Chinese or the Muslims the R word, and see if they care. That's why they are succeeding while the West is failing, so enjoy your demise while being offended everyday, what a wonderful life ain't it? Also Dr. Coe was as courteous as he could be, it was the guy who asked the question being unfortunate, what an uncivilized vile creature.

[@anarchy0209]

@@terranrepublic7023 Americans now are the prime example of educated academic westerners? Proper manners? This is why the world has such bad opinions on americans and then they ask why...Get your head out of your ass.

[@jsr1296]

@Rhizosphere You always hear the evils all around the world telling their stories as truths

[@oliviasvahn4090]

43:30

[@user-qw1rj5eg5k]

Chocolhab in Mayans languages

[@cherylordonez474]

Did you fact autocorrect all you just repeat like everybody go look when the American was used for the first time in there

[@alanschannel1495]

Very downplayed… The Nauhuas/ Aztec were the first conquerers / bullshit talkers. Claiming to be decended from the Toltec(?)

[@lynnwoodcarter3486]

Wat explain

[@user-qw1rj5eg5k]

The chocolate have it original at sondonate El Salvador Central America

[@user-qw1rj5eg5k]

Mayan civilization

[@josevelazquez9396]

I thought we were people from ANAHUAC or Nahuatlacas the region from Nican A nahuac or Nicaragua to the Great Lakes unless the ones that speak Nahuatl are deceiving me then my apologies for my comment for us Meso America is a period before the Spanish destroyed our culture. could it be that I need more instruction?

[@anapoda3081]

maybe you do

[@kmaher1424]

Mesoamerica is a region, not a time period. The Spanish destroyed much but the languages remain. How many do you know?

[@AntzLoks1314]

El-Choctaw-lord-De-CalifasMexicoAztlan Antz-that-crawls-on-the-ground i Cali 🐜🐜

[@claudiaclaudia936]

The REAL OLD WORLD =MEXICO

[@elaineproffitt4640]

I can’t imagine too many people have experienced chocolate intoxication. It’s nice but you do have to eat A LOT a lot. 😸

[@claudiaclaudia936]

The original drink of the Gods (cocoa ) Made in AMERICA NOT EUROPE or AFRIKA.

[@indigenousamerican3148]

The human sacrificies were absolutely needed, to have good rains and a good harvest. Thanks to those sacrificed our ancestors continued living on.

[@biancastarr7744]

What a colinizing thing to say nuns created mōle or proce me wrong

[@benstevens1575]

Yeah I was immediately skeptical upon hearing this old white guy claiming to know the “true history” of cacao /: I’m going to go search for similar info from someone who’s actually Native to the area

[@khubza8999]

It is unfortunate that the speaker gets very defensive about the questioner who called attention that chocolate was mixed with blood. Actually, this is important because of the allegations of cannibalism that were used to justify the conquest.

[@bouncycastle955]

Nobody thinks conquests are justified anyway so it isnt important.

[@hourslookingsideways7850]

Ancient people have always done what they did for a reason. That's true for canabalism and for conquest. Luckily, those tendencies have been subdued in modern people, irregardless to one's ancestors. The lecturer isn't coming from a point of implicit bias, so I think the questioner was more reactive than observant in his comments and thus overextended himself.

[@bouncycastle955]

@Pukar Lund look for the "Caps Lock" button on the left of your keyboard, press it once. You're welcome.

[@otiskorner9544]

Your wrong, Elmer fudd.... Them pyramids have been here long before the flood. Long before it rain fire upon the titanic rex lizards...

[@franceesnickn2833]

Stop pronouncing the "L" in Nahuatl please.

[@nimium1955]

it isn't silent. it IS a sound - just not elllllll sound - more like the first two Ls in Llewellyn.

[@from-Texas]

At least frances said please....lol

[@andresfelipegonzalezperez2582]

Fuck off, stop focusing on irrelevant issues ....

[@jessicamoores181]

Poor audio👎

[@bouncycastle955]

I've had 99% cacao, it's really gross.

[@bouncycastle955]

@Pukar Lund yes

[@deonhyde5828]

The Native Americans, Olmecs, Mayans, Aztecs, and the Incas were all black.

[@maikmost8589]

can you explain what exactly goes wrong in your head???

[@deonhyde5828]

@@maikmost8589 The truth is what's wrong. You fools hate the truth. The first people to the Americans were black. They spoke Hebrew and derived from the Phoenicians. All you butthurt cry babies need to do your research. Look up the Native Americans in the 1600's. The so called Negroes were here before Columbus and the mongloids who invaded America after the war.

[@QuartzDiamond86]

The Olmecs yes. Let's not take it too far.

[@amparocruz951]

You are Delusional

[@viciousmindzentertainment9307]

I concur

[@UrbanSurvivorTheMemeLord]

Wow.... this is so boring its not even funny...............................

[@user-fs6zl9uz3f]

Nah you’re just boring. This is awesome

[@soypam8033]

@@user-fs6zl9uz3fa de ser peruano