Commonly used psychoactive substance may have prehistoric origins

Live updates

1. 47m ago

   Ancient Teeth Reveal Betel Nut Use 25,000 Years Ago

   Archaeologists identified the use of psychoactive betel nuts in the teeth of an Ice Age hunter-gatherer, dating back 25,000 years. This evidence places habitual drug use in prehistoric Indonesia significantly earlier than previous records suggested. The substance is the precursor to what is currently the fourth most common addictive drug globally. These findings provide a rare glimpse into how early humans discovered and integrated mind-altering substances into their daily routines during the Ice Age.

   Why it matters

   Previous beliefs about the timeline of human experimentation with psychoactive drugs have been shifted back by 23,000 years. This discovery helps fill a gap in knowledge regarding the origins of narcotic and stimulant use.

   What is confirmed

   • Ancient teeth indicate humans used psychoactive betel nuts 25,000 years ago.
   • The substance is linked to the world's 4th most common addictive drug.
   • The remains belong to a hunter-gatherer from Indonesia.

   What to watch next

   • Analysis of other Ice Age remains to determine if betel nut use was widespread across different prehistoric populations
   Sources used for this update (2)

   1. scitechdaily.com — A 25,000-Year-Old Drug Habit Was Hidden in Ancient Teeth
   2. www.dtnext.in — Ancient teeth reveal the Ice Age origins of the world’s 4th most common addictive drug
   confidence 100%
2. 1d ago

   Ancient Teeth Reveal Drug Use Dating Back 25,000 Years

   Archaeologists discovered evidence of habitual drug use in the teeth of a hunter-gatherer who lived up to 25,000 years ago. The remains indicate that prehistoric humans in Indonesia may have sucked on mind-altering nuts during the Ice Age. This discovery suggests that human experimentation with psychoactive substances occurred 23,000 years earlier than previously believed. The substance identified is linked to what is now the world's 4th most common addictive drug.

   Why it matters

   The study uses dental analysis to trace the chemical signatures of substances consumed by ancient populations. Establishing this timeline shifts the understanding of when humans first began utilizing plants for their psychoactive properties. It provides a window into the social or medicinal behaviors of Ice Age foragers.

   What is confirmed

   • Evidence of drug use was found in the teeth of a hunter-gatherer from up to 25,000 years ago.
   • The findings suggest humans used drugs 23,000 years earlier than previously thought.
   • The remains are linked to foragers in Indonesia.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The substance used was derived from mind-altering nuts.
   • The drug is the world's 4th most common addictive drug.

   What to watch next

   • Identification of the specific plant species used by the foragers
   • Analysis of additional Ice Age remains to determine if this was a widespread practice
   Sources used for this update (8)

   1. The New York Times — Scientists Discover the Earliest Evidence of Drug Use in Really Old Teeth
   2. The Guardian — Indonesian foragers may have sucked on mind-altering nuts 25,000 years ago, research finds
   3. Phys.org — Ice Age origins of one of humanity's oldest drug habits discovered
   4. The Conversation — Ancient teeth reveal the Ice Age origins of the world’s 4th most common addictive drug
   5. Popular Science — Humans experimented with drugs 23,000 years earlier than we thought
   6. Smithsonian Magazine — Archaeologists Discover the World's Oldest Evidence of Habitual Drug Use in the Teeth of a Hunter-Gatherer Who Lived Up to 25,000 Years Ago
   7. cnn.com — Commonly used psychoactive substance may have prehistoric origins
   8. New York Post — 25,000-year-old caveman remains reveal mind-altering drug use much longer than previously thought
   confidence 85%