Archaeologists in the Oaxaca Valley of Mexico have uncovered an intact ritual site identified as a Zapotec herbal pharmacy. The site contains dozens of ceramic vessels holding charred remains of various plants, including a species of Ginger and a specific resin that chemical testing reveals is identical to Guggulu, a plant native to the Indian subcontinent. The pharmacy dates to approximately 500 CE.
This discovery has sparked intense debate regarding pre-Columbian trans-Pacific contact. The presence of these specific medicinal plants suggests that botanical knowledge, and perhaps the plants themselves, may have traveled along maritime routes, hinting at a shared global history of ancient traditional medicine.