Commonly used psychoactive substance may have prehistoric origins

Live updates

1. 28d ago

   Prehistoric Tooth Wear Suggests Deep Roots for Habitual Drug Use

   Prehistoric human remains from Indonesia show unusual tooth wear patterns that reveal an ancient oral habit involving psychoactive substances. Psychedelic and hallucinogenic substances have long histories of human use, serving purposes ranging from religious communion and divination to pain relief and personal entertainment. While modern substances in this category remain largely illegal and part of the global illegal drug trade, historical records show that ancient cultures integrated mind-altering plants and fungi deeply into their spiritual and medicinal routines, viewing them as divine gifts.

   Why it matters

   The discovery of distinct dental damage and molecular evidence in ancient remains pushes the timeline of human drug consumption back into the Ice Age. Hallucinogens such as the Psilocybe mexicana mushroom, known to the Aztecs as flesh of the gods, demonstrate how deeply entheogens were embedded in shamanic rituals and healing practices. These historical findings broaden our understanding of how hunter-foragers and later Mesoamerican societies utilized altered states of consciousness.

   What is confirmed

   • An unusual pattern of tooth wear found in prehistoric human remains from Indonesia has provided a window into an ancient oral habit.
   • Hallucinogens have been used for communion with the gods and ancestors, divination, personal visions, self-knowledge, and as a source of pleasure and entertainment.
   • Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states and a perceived expansion of consciousness.
   • Psychedelics are widely illegal to sell, possess, or to prescribe, but are nevertheless part of the global illegal drug trade.

   What to watch next

   • Further molecular analysis of ancient dental remains from other archaeological sites to confirm specific psychoactive substances.
   • Additional peer-reviewed studies examining the geographical spread of Ice Age drug consumption habits.
   Sources used for this update (3)

   1. www.dental-tribune.com — Ancient tooth wear reveals earliest evidence of drug use
   2. www.mexicolore.co.uk — The Aztecs’ use of hallucinogenic drugs - Mexicolore
   3. en.wikipedia.org — Psychedelic drug - Wikipedia
   confidence 100%
2. 30d ago

   Ancient Teeth Reveal 25,000-Year-Old Betel Nut Habit in Indonesia

   Ancient human remains discovered in Sulawesi show that Ice Age hunter-foragers engaged in habitual betel nut consumption 25,000 years ago. Researchers identified two teeth featuring deep and rounded grooves, alongside molecular evidence trapped within the tooth tissues for thousands of years. This dental damage points to a long-standing practice of utilizing psychoactive plants to alter consciousness and for pain relief. The discovery highlights an ancient integration of mind-altering substances into human routines, shedding light on the historical depth of drug use during the Ice Age.

   Why it matters

   Humans across the globe regularly use mind-altering substances, ranging from stimulants and narcotics to hallucinogens. Finding physical evidence in ancient teeth offers a rare glimpse into the long history of these habits and their physical impacts. This specific case ties modern psychoactive routines directly back to prehistoric populations in Indonesia.

   What is confirmed

   • Ancient human remains from Sulawesi dating back 25,000 years show evidence of habitual betel nut use.
   • Ice Age hunter-foragers in Sulawesi may have used betel nut as a psychoactive substance and for pain relief.
   • The practice resulted in unusual tooth wear, including deep and rounded grooves.

   Still unconfirmed

   • This discovery marks the oldest evidence of psychoactive substance use in history.

   What to watch next

   • Further analysis of the molecules trapped in the tooth tissues
   • Additional archaeological discoveries of human remains in Sulawesi with similar dental wear
   Sources used for this update (6)

   1. greentechnologyinvestments.com — The oldest evidence of psychoactive substance use may be ...
   2. mixmag.asia — New research reveals early betel nut drug use in Indonesia
   3. icanews.org — Ancient Teeth in Sulawesi Indicate Habitual Betel Nut Use ...
   4. bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com — Ancient Betel Nut Use: Insights from Ice Age Teeth
   5. www.ganjingworld.com — Ancient Teeth Reveal the Ice Age Origins of the World’s 4th ...
   6. www.birdsadvice.com — 25,000-Year-Old Teeth Reveal One of Humanity’s Oldest Drug Habits
   confidence 95%
3. 33d ago

   Humans used psychoactive betel nuts 25,000 years ago

   Ancient human remains from Sulawesi show evidence of habitual betel nut use, a psychoactive substance, dating back 25,000 years. The practice, used for pain relief and as a mind-altering substance, resulted in unusual tooth wear and damage. This discovery represents one of the earliest known instances of humans integrating psychoactive substances into their routines during the Ice Age.

   Why it matters

   The betel nut, also called areca nut, is the precursor to the world's fourth most common addictive drug. The findings establish a significant milestone in the history of human substance use, pushing back the known origins of psychoactive substance use by humans. This challenges previous assumptions about the relationship between farming and the emergence of complex societies.

   What is confirmed

   • The betel nut is the precursor to the world's fourth most common addictive drug.
   • Humans in Sulawesi used psychoactive betel nuts as a drug and painkiller up to 25,000 years ago.
   • Chemical traces found in unusual tooth patterns indicate this habit existed long before the start of farming.
   • The substance's mind-altering compound, arecoline, was found in the teeth of prehistoric hunter-gatherers.

   What to watch next

   • Further analysis of ancient human remains for psychoactive substance use
   • Investigation into the spread of betel nut use across ancient human populations
   • Research on the impact of betel nut use on ancient human health and societies
   Sources used for this update (3)

   1. www.yahoo.com — The Oldest Evidence of Drug Use is Also a Story About Addiction
   2. www.yahoo.com — Historic highs: Humans may have been doing drugs for 25,000 years
   3. www.sciencedaily.com — Ancient teeth reveal humans were getting high 25,000 years ago
   confidence 100%
4. 41d ago

   Ancient teeth reveal psychoactive betel nut use 25,000 years ago

   Humans in Sulawesi used psychoactive betel nuts as a drug and painkiller up to 25,000 years ago. Chemical traces found in unusual tooth patterns indicate this habit existed long before the start of farming. The substance is the precursor to the world's fourth most common addictive drug. These findings establish one of the oldest known instances of humans integrating mind-altering substances into their routines during the Ice Age.

   Why it matters

   This discovery shifts the timeline for habitual drug use in prehistoric Indonesia. It demonstrates that hunter-gatherers sought chemical relief or altered states of consciousness before the agricultural revolution.

   What is confirmed

   • People in Sulawesi used psychoactive betel nuts up to 25,000 years ago.
   • Chemical traces in tooth patterns reveal the use of a psychoactive nut.

   What to watch next

   • Identification of other psychoactive substances in Ice Age remains
   • Further chemical analysis of Sulawesi dental patterns
   Sources used for this update (2)

   1. www.yahoo.com — Scientists Found Evidence of the World’s Oldest Drug Habit in 25,000-Year-Old Teeth
   2. www.earth.com — Ancient teeth reveal humans were getting high 25,000 years ago
   confidence 100%
5. 45d 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%
6. 47d 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%