Theobroma, (Cacao tree), c1840-1890. T. cacao is widely distributed from southeastern Mexico to the Amazon basin. Ceramic vessels with residues from the preparation of cacao beverages have been found at archaeological sites dating back to the Early Formative (1900-900 BC) period. Cacao beans constituted both a ritual beverage and a major currency system in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations.