NMMNHS News:

Explore the history of the use of chocolate in the Southwest through a lecture from New Mexico-based archeologist Dr. Patricia Crown 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12 at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science (NMMNHS).

“The History and Use of Chocolate in Chaco Canyon and Beyond” is a lecture that ties together a decade of research on chocolate consumption in Chaco Canyon and other parts of North and South America.

The latest research shows cacao was domesticated around 5,000 years ago in South America, with use spreading from there into Mesoamerica and eventually into what’s now the Southwestern United States and Northwest Mexico.  

This lecture also restarts the Museum’s in-person Voices in Science lecture series, which has brought together eminent scientists – including Jane Goodall, Alexandra Cousteau, and Jared Diamond – to speak about current advances in scientific research. These lectures are designed for adults and older students but are intended to be accessible to a wide audience. Stay tuned for more details on upcoming lectures. 

This lecture is in-person and free with advance registration here. Registration is required as space is limited. 

Dr. Patricia L. Crown is an archaeologist who works in the American Southwest. With collaborator Jeffrey Hurst, she discovered the first evidence for chocolate residues north of the Mexican border, in Chaco Canyon. She is recently retired from the University of New Mexico, where she was Leslie Spier Distinguished Professor of Anthropology. Professional recognition and honors include election to the National Academy of Sciences, the A.V. Kidder Award from American Anthropological Association, and the Society of American Archaeology Award for Excellence in Ceramic Research.

Crown is the author of more than 60 articles and books, including a recently completed edited volume The House of the Cylinder Jars: Room 28 at Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon, published by UNM Press.