Comments on: A word or two about tobacco, and some neat and new research

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 04 Sep 2014 15:53:24 +0000

So, the Myan vessels’ inscription is equivalent to todays “For Tobacco Use Only” even though the design of many of these smoking implements is ill-suited towards any member of the Solanaceae family and downright fubar’d for tobacco.

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:46:09 +0000

Plus, this research was conducted in the Intellectual and Cultural Hotbed of America: The Tri City Area! (I grew up in Albany.)

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:05:34 +0000

A wonderful post. I'm particularly glad that you noted:

"The neat thing about this study is that it proves the obvious: The Maya are known to have used tobacco from way back, based on the occasional picture they carved of some guy smoking. Vessels that say "Tobacco" on them are likely to hold tobacco. But, in fact, the use of the substance and the specified use of the containers is conjectural. This research, then, represents basic forensic documentation. "

This sort of empirical confirmation is often overlooked in archaeological interpretations... and I happen to know 1st hand that it was a major point of the author's research.

By the way, she enjoyed your post here quite a bit as well.

By: Niraj

Niraj — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:52:38 +0000

So what is the final point ?

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:40:54 +0000

I’m not sure of the point of the cannabis is to counteract nausea, or if the tobacco is simply being added to the cannabis to make it all more interesting .

By: Anonymosity

Anonymosity — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:14:32 +0000

I hope that’s a typo about what the Efe Pygmies mix with their tobacco. Presumably the cannabis helps counteract the nausea?