This “sotol pit” was visible on the surface of Hinds Cave when the archeologists first visited in 1974. Such pits were used for baking sotol and other plants that require prolonged heating before they are edible. Although the pit at Hinds Cave was not excavated, nearby archeologists encountered large quantities of sotol leaf bases and chewed quids. Visit the Plant Gallery to learn more about sotol. Quids are the chewed up ends of cooked sotol leafs—these are eaten sort of like artichoke leaves except sotol leaves are a lot tougher. TAMU Anthropological archives.