12. The Mayans loved chocolate so much they were buried with it
Amongst primitive cultures, burying people with grave goods is relatively common. The idea of this was to help the individual make their way to the afterlife as quickly and easily as possible. The Ancient Greeks were buried with a coin to pay Charon, a boatman who would take the dead across the River Styx. The Ancient Egyptians famously buried important people with both treasure and their favourite pets to ensure they had a pleasant eternal rest, even mummifying cats and birds. Food is also commonly found buried with the dead, to ensure the dearly-departed is well-nourished for their perilous journey.
The Mayan practice of burying their elite dead with chocolate is thus an indication of how important it was to their culture. Its intrinsic sanctity meant that someone with a tomb full of chocolate would win favour with the gods, in whose hands their fate rested. Depictions of the practice in surviving illustrations place chocolate at the literal centre of the burial, emphasising its importance to the whole transition from this world to the next. It was also believed that chocolate had mystical properties, and could feed the soul so that it had enough energy to make its final journey.