Earliest curry in Southeast Asia and the global spice trade 2000 years ago

Abstract

The global spice trade has played an essential role in world history. However, because of poor preservation conditions, archaeobotanical remains of spices have been limited in archaeological contexts until now. This study reports evidence for spice processing from the archaeological site of Oc Eo in southern Vietnam, an entrepôt of the state of Funan that was occupied during the early centuries CE. Analysis of plant microremains recovered from the surfaces of Oc Eo grinding stone tools thought to be of South Asian origin has identified culinary spices that include turmeric, ginger, fingerroot, sand ginger, galangal, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon. These spices are indispensable ingredients used in the making of curry in South Asia today. We suggest that South Asian migrants or visitors introduced this culinary tradition into Southeast Asia during the period of early trade contact via the Indian Ocean, commencing about 2000 years ago.

Identification of breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) and South American crops introduced during early settlement of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), as revealed through starch analysis

“…Ginger has been used as medicine and a spice in India and China since ancient times [ 116 ]. In India, ginger starch has been identified at the site of Farmana [ 117 ], and in China, ginger starch granules have been identified at the Neolithic Dadiwan site [ 118 ], and Liu et al [ 119 ] found starch remains associated with the production of alcoholic beverages in containers dating to 9000–7000 cal BP. Recently, ginger starch grains have been identified on grinding stones from Vietnam [ 117 ].…”

“…In India, ginger starch has been identified at the site of Farmana [ 117 ], and in China, ginger starch granules have been identified at the Neolithic Dadiwan site [ 118 ], and Liu et al [ 119 ] found starch remains associated with the production of alcoholic beverages in containers dating to 9000–7000 cal BP. Recently, ginger starch grains have been identified on grinding stones from Vietnam [ 117 ]. Ginger was one of the first Oriental spices to reach the Greeks and Romans about 2000 years ago, was known in France and Germany since the ninth century, England since the tenth century [ 115 , 116 ] and reached Scandinavia only in the 15 th century [ 120 ].…”