The plants included a vine in the morning glory family known as xtabentun, chili peppers, the lancewood plant, and a tree called jool. The botanicals were wrapped together in a bundle.
The xtabentun has hallucinogenic properties and was used in ceremonial contexts, particularly in divination rituals for connecting with spirits.
Today, people living in the same region use the honey of bees that feed on xtabentun flowers to brew mead. Furthermore, the ancient Maya used chili peppers to treat a number of illnesses.
“We think of chili as a spice. But it was much more than that for the ancient Maya. It was a healing plant used in many ceremonies,” said David Lentz, the lead author of the study with the University of Cincinnati.
In addition, the lancewood plant has oily leaves that are known to be an anesthetic and an antibiotic agent and contain a compound that opens up blood vessels.
Finally, the leaves of the jool tree were used to wrap bundles of food for Maya ceremonies. They also acted as a medicine to treat snake bites.
The plant remains were discovered beneath a plaza floor of a stone and earthen ceremonial platform that was three feet high.
The platform originally held several domestic structures dating back to the Middle Preclassic period, but sometime during the Late Preclassic period, it was remodeled, and a ball court was added.
On these courts, the Maya would play ball games. However, the courts also functioned as sacred spaces where ceremonial activities were conducted. The plants found on the ball court represented an offering to the gods to bless the space.
