Spices were traded between South Asia and Southeast Asia more than 3,000 years ago
Peter Schickert/Westend61/Getty Images
In Southeast Asia, people may have been cooking curries for at least 2,000 years, according to traces of spices found on newly excavated stone tools in Vietnam.
During their excavations at the Oc Eo archaeological site in South Vietnam, Hsiao-chun Hung at the Australian National University in Canberra and her colleagues discovered several sandstone grinding tools in addition to remnants of spices.
An analysis of 717 starch granules extracted from the tools revealed eight types of spices: turmeric, ginger, galangal, sand ginger, finger root, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. Many of the grains also showed signs of deformation, suggesting they were damaged from grinding and resemble the starch grains found in modern curry powder.
“This finding strongly suggests that the ancient inhabitants of Oc Eo used turmeric, ginger and other spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg as essential ingredients in their culinary practices, most likely in the preparation of curry,” says Hung.
![](https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/21155524/SEI_164936377.jpg?width=1200)
A sandstone grinding plate found at Oc Eo in Vietnam, on which traces of spices were identified
Khanh Trung Kien Nguyen
Maritime trade routes between Southeast Asia and South Asia were established over 3,000 years ago, with spices such as nutmeg and cloves from Indonesia and others such as turmeric and cinnamon from South Asia.
Stone grinding tools first appeared in Southeast Asia 2000 to 3000 years ago, along with other South Asian cultural elements such as Indian ornaments and religious monuments. Therefore, it is very likely that these tools, herbs and recipes were introduced to the region by migrants or travelers from South Asia, Hung says. The herbs found at Oc Eo likely came from traders, but could have been grown locally from seeds brought by traders, the researchers say.
The findings provide valuable information about the dietary habits of Southeast Asian societies at the time and also offer a glimpse into the cultural and trade connections between different regions over thousands of years, Hung says.
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