Accordingly to Time Magazine, some 10th-century pottery discovered in a Guatemala archeological site represents Mayans puffing on tobacco leaves bound up with strings (sikar). The discovery seems new, instead, it is really old. Indeed, more ancient evidence of Mayan use of tobacco had been found in Campeche (Mexico) where pottery dated 1,300 years reports the glyph “y-otoot ‘u-may,” that translates as “the house of tobacco”. See https://scubarob.love for more...

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Rituals From Ancient Societies: the Cigar
February 24, 2019
Accordingly to Time Magazine, some 10th-century pottery discovered in a Guatemala archeological site
represents Mayans puf ng on tobacco leaves bound up with strings (sikar). The discovery seem new, instead,
it is really old.
Indeed, more ancient evidence of Mayan use of tobacco had been found in Campeche (Mexico) where
pottery dated 1,300 years reports the glyph “y-otoot ‘u-may,” that translates as “the house of tobacco”. By
studying the Mayan Codices, archeologists established that Mayan elites elite used ceramic containers to
store Nicotiana Rustica; indeed, pre-conquest Maya used, among other substances, Nicotiana Rustica (kutz)
to achieve different levels of consciousness during their rituals. Speci cally, the Maya smoked sikar (reeds
stuffed with Nicotiana) to experience the hallucinogenic properties of this type of tobacco. Indeed, evidence
is found in the Maya codices, folding books written by professional scribes working under the patronage of
deities. Below, table 25, 26, and 34 of the Madrid Codex clearly show the use of the sikar:
Instead, lower classes daily employed triturated wild tobacco mixed with lime (Mai) to alleviate hunger and
thirst; the mixture was conserved in a long-necked gourd (bux) and consumed using a long-handled scoop
made of bone or wood.
Additionally, a Tampa University’s team of scientists examining mineral samples at a Ch’orti’ Maya caves site
discovered a large stock of cigars buried in several sealed clay pots labelled with the sikar glyph. According
to Dr. Vandenhousen, the clay pots were carefully sealed and buried in a cave with stable temperature and
high relative humidity; moreover, massive encrustations of potassium nitrate combined with abundant bat
guano to yield a common food preservative that concurred to the preservation of the cigars. Interestingly,
ancient Maya connected bats to caves, underworld, and sacri ce by decorating the underworld messengers
with symbols of sacri ce like death eyes around their neck or wings and blood coming out of their mouth.
Modern Rituals?
In general, I enjoy cigars as a form of entertainment; speci cally, I smoke cigars to experience new avors
originating from new mix of leaves, but I also like to consume some other food with (chocolate, coffee, etc.).
However, the best use of cigar is to discuss about democracy, economy, or justice; unresolved subjects since
Mayan times. Therefore, for me, the cigar completes an experience and is the justi cation for the meeting
and the discussion.
References.
Altman, A. (2009). The Cigar. Time Magazine. Retrieved from
http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1869320,00.html
FAMSI. Maya Codices. Retrieved from http://www.famsi.org/mayawriting/codices/introduction.html
The World’s Most Expensive Cigars. Retrieved from http://www.goldnews.com.cy/en/the-world-s-most-
expensive-cigars/600-year-old-mayan-cigars
Scientists Discover the First Physical Evidence of Tobacco in a Mayan Container. Retrieved from
https://www.newswise.com/articles/scientists-discover-the- rst-physical-evidence-of-tobacco-in-a-
mayan-container
One Reply to “Rituals From Ancient Societies: the
Cigar”
As a cigar smoker I already know something about the history of cigars… indeed I’ve read the article on
Time magazine you mentioned. However, your post is highly specialized
Alfred says:
March 7, 2019 at 8:49 pm
Reply
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