Existing comment:
Long Distance Trade:
Archaeological evidence shows that trade goods such as chocolate, seashells, turquoise and parrots were exchanged over long distances well before the Aztec Empire existed, linking the Anasazi people of what is now the southwestern United States to cultures hundreds of miles to the south.
Trading the Turquoise:
Turquoise that originated in what's now the southwestern United States has been found more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) to the south.
Trading for Chocolate:
This ceramic vessel found in Chaco Canyon was made between AD 1000 and 1125. Laboratory tests showed that it once contained chocolate -- but since the nearest cacao trees are over 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) to the south, the cacao beans must have been obtained through trade. |