Humans may have been enjoying cacao, the substance used to make chocolate, for much longer than experts had thought. Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada have found that humans grew cacao trees and consumed cacao starting around 5,300 years ago. They published their findings in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution in late October. The researchers found evidence of cacao’s use at an ancient village in the highlands of southeastern Ecuador. They examined the remains of very old objects at the Santa Ana-La Florida archeological site. The village was part of the Mayo-Chinchipe culture of the Andes. Time has had little effect on the village and ceremonial center. The researchers were able to find a lot of evidence of the use of cacao. Scientists had already mostly agreed that cacao was first domesticated in South America instead of Central America, as they once believed. But the new discovery shows cacao was domesticated about 1,500 years earlier than was known before.
Title: Chocolate's Story Older Than Once Thought
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/25cd3739-d42a-4101-b5c1-a1ef7a0c5435_hq.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Chocolate's Story Older Than Once Thought' data-article-id='3490'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='11208'>Humans may have been enjoying cacao, the substance used to make chocolate, for much longer than experts had thought.</span> <span data-start-time='11208' data-end-time='26917'>Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada have found that humans grew cacao trees and consumed cacao starting around 5,300 years ago.</span> <span data-start-time='26917' data-end-time='35354'>They published their findings in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution in late October.</span> <span data-start-time='35354' data-end-time='45542'>The researchers found evidence of cacao’s use at an ancient village in the highlands of southeastern Ecuador.</span> <span data-start-time='45542' data-end-time='54604'>They examined the remains of very old objects at the Santa Ana-La Florida archeological site.</span> <span data-start-time='54604' data-end-time='60542'>The village was part of the Mayo-Chinchipe culture of the Andes.</span> <span data-start-time='60542' data-end-time='66625'>Time has had little effect on the village and ceremonial center.</span> <span data-start-time='66625' data-end-time='73500'>The researchers were able to find a lot of evidence of the use of cacao.</span> <span data-start-time='73500' data-end-time='85667'>Scientists had already mostly agreed that cacao was first domesticated in South America instead of Central America, as they once believed.</span> <span data-start-time='85667' data-end-time='95604'>But the new discovery shows cacao was domesticated about 1,500 years earlier than was known before.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/A1CC52B0-1F36-42A2-90EA-197CB2854163_cx0_cy5_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=11881 data-hint-location='11208' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/what_does_consume_mean.wav'>What does consume mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='to eat or drink something'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/to_relocate.wav'><span>to relocate</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/to_barter_or_trade.wav'><span>to barter or trade</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/to_eat_or_drink_something.wav'><span>to eat or drink something</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/to_be_energetic.wav'><span>to be energetic</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=11882 data-hint-location='60542' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/what_has_had_little_effect_on_the_village_and_ceremonial_center.wav'>What has had little effect on the village and ceremonial center?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='time'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/illness.wav'><span>illness</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/money.wav'><span>money</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/weather.wav'><span>weather</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/time.wav'><span>time</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=11883 data-hint-location='66625' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/the_researchers_were_able_to_find_a_lot_of_evidence_of_the_use_of__blank_.wav'>The researchers were able to find a lot of evidence of the use of <span class='blank'>cacao</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='cacao'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/cacao.wav'><span>cacao</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/fur.wav'><span>fur</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/wine.wav'><span>wine</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2947/spices.wav'><span>spices</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button 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