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Chemical archaeology of kava, a potent brew
Author(s) -
Hocart Charles H.,
Fankhauser Barry,
Buckle David W.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
rapid communications in mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.528
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1097-0231
pISSN - 0951-4198
DOI - 10.1002/rcm.1290070311
Subject(s) - chemistry , kava , archaeology , traditional medicine , history , medicine
Abstract Kava lactones, which are present in the intoxicating Pacific Island drink, kava, have now been detected in a number of archaeological artefacts using selected‐ion monitoring techniques in conjunction with gas chromatography/electron impact‐mass spectrometry. Thus it is now possible to link unequivocally kava drinking, a major aspect of the ceremonial culture of many Pacific societies, to the archaeological record. In addition, a new variation of the kava lactone skeleton was tentatively identified in the form of 7,8‐dihydro‐5,6‐dehydrokawain and 7,8‐dihydro‐5,6‐dehydromethysticin.