Photo: Ancient Chilies Suggest Spicy Cuisine in Early Mexico

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The remains of ancient chili peppers, including the samples seen above, were found in caves in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca.

Researchers who examined the peppers say their presence suggests the region's Zapotec Indians had a complex, spicy cuisine similar to modern Mexico's as far back as A.D. 600.

Photographs courtesy Linda Perry

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