An American study of the first humans to reach the Americas would confirm the use of tobacco 9,000 years earlier than previously thought
The first “cigarettes” could date back to much earlier than we thought. A study conducted by the Far Western Anthropological Research Group on a field of the first groups of humans to reach the American continent suggests that tobacco was used by our ancestors 12,300 years ago, about 9,000 years earlier than previously predicted. The study was published in the journal Nature Human Behavior.
Nicotiana is a plant native to the Americas and plays an important role in the traditions of North American indigenous groups. The team, led by Daron Duke, evaluated the Wishbone site in the Great Salt Lake Desert, Utah, where an intact human hearth dating back 12,300 years was identified, surrounded by stone and bone artifacts. Inside, experts report, charred tobacco seeds were found.
The authors’ analyzes suggest that tobacco was used by humans for thousands of years before it was grown. These findings, the scientists conclude, may help uncover valuable information on tobacco cultivation and use