Archeobiology Reveals Chili Peppers Older than Originally Thought

摘要

There has never been a complete reconstruction of the origin, domestication, and dispersal of the chili pepper, the fruit of the genus Capsicum (Solanaceae).1 Rernains of this fruit have been difficult if not impossible to find at archeological digs because they were eaten whole, which means there were no seeds or husks left behind.2 This lack of evidence has kept the history of chili peppers shrouded in mystery.