The research was based on a test for the presence or abscene of nicotene.
Unfortunately, HUNDREDS of plants from both the new world and old world have
trace amounts of nicotene.  If I remember correctly, even the potato!  The
 botanical
chemists I have had look into the subject assured me that the only way to tell
 if
the sample is actually tobacco, is to have enough of the cell structure of the
 leaf,
including some veins, to compare with actual tobacco.

Smoke Pfeiffer


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Smoke (Michael A. ) Pfeiffer
Archaeologist
Ozark-St. Francis National Forests
605 West Main Street
Russellville, AR 72801
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 Absence of evidence IS NOT evidence of absence.