Drug use may have begun 25,000 years ago, new research finds

Live updates

1. 40d ago

   Sulawesi teeth provide earliest evidence of habitual drug use

   Prehistoric humans in Sulawesi used psychoactive betel nuts as stimulants up to 25,000 years ago. Scientists identified these habits through the analysis of ancient teeth, marking some of the oldest archaeological evidence of mind-altering substance use. This behavior occurred during the Ice Age and predates the start of farming. The discovery suggests that early foragers deliberately sought the stimulant effects of arecoline long before previously documented records of habitual drug consumption.

   Why it matters

   The study examines how the consumption of betel nuts evolved over millennia. Identifying these patterns in Ice Age remains shifts the timeline for when humans began using psychoactive plants.

   What is confirmed

   • People in Sulawesi used psychoactive betel nuts up to 25,000 years ago.
   • The use of these nuts dates back to the Ice Age.
   • This evidence represents some of the oldest archaeological records of psychoactive drug use.

   What to watch next

   • Further analysis of other Ice Age remains to determine if this practice was widespread across different regions
   Sources used for this update (2)

   1. www.cfpublic.org — Scientists find evidence of ancient drug use in prehistoric teeth
   2. www.earth.com — Ancient teeth reveal humans were getting high 25,000 years ago
   confidence 100%
2. 43d ago

   Ancient teeth in Indonesia show drug use 25,000 years ago

   Prehistoric foragers in Indonesia used psychoactive areca nuts as a stimulant and painkiller up to 25,000 years ago. Researchers identified arecoline traces and unusual tooth patterns in ancient remains, marking the earliest known evidence of habitual drug use. These findings indicate that Ice Age humans deliberately consumed mind-altering substances long before previous records suggested.

   Why it matters

   This discovery shifts the known timeline of human pharmacology. It suggests that early humans sought chemical means to alter their consciousness or manage physical pain during the Ice Age.

   What is confirmed

   • Ancient teeth found in Indonesia contain traces of psychoactive arecoline.
   • The evidence of drug use dates back 25,000 years.
   • Prehistoric humans used areca nuts as a mind-altering substance.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The drug habit was specifically used as a painkiller.
   • Ancient humans were addicted to the practice of nut sucking.

   What to watch next

   • Analysis of other Ice Age remains for similar chemical traces
   • Peer review of the tooth pattern data
   Sources used for this update (2)

   1. www.vice.com — 25,000-Year-Old Teeth Reveal Ancient Humans Were Addicted to Nut Sucking
   2. www.yahoo.com — Scientists Found Evidence of the World’s Oldest Drug Habit in 25,000-Year-Old Teeth
   confidence 90%
3. 49d ago

   Ancient Teeth Reveal Ice Age Drug Use in Indonesia

   Researchers analyzing ancient teeth discovered in Indonesia have uncovered the earliest known evidence of habitual drug use, dating back up to 25,000 years. Scientists found traces of arecoline, indicating that prehistoric foragers chewed or sucked on psychoactive areca nuts during the Ice Age. This discovery pushes back the timeline of human drug use significantly further than previous records showed, pointing to deep roots in ancient stimulant consumption.

   Why it matters

   The find indicates that human experimentation with mind-altering substances extends much deeper into prehistory than previously understood. Areca nuts rank among the most common addictive substances used globally today, and tracing their consumption back to hunter-gatherers sheds light on ancient dietary and cultural habits. Archaeologists from Griffith University led the research effort, revealing insights into how early modern humans interacted with native flora.

   What is confirmed

   • Scientists discovered the earliest evidence of drug use in ancient teeth from Indonesia, dating back up to 25,000 years.
   • The teeth contained traces of arecoline, suggesting prehistoric foragers consumed psychoactive areca nuts.
   • Archaeologists from Griffith University uncovered the evidence regarding these mind-altering substances.

   What to watch next

   • Further chemical analysis of other ancient dental remains from the region to find additional evidence of early drug habits.
   Sources used for this update (11)

   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. New Scientist — Earliest evidence of habitual drug use found in teeth in Indonesia
   4. Phys.org — Ice Age origins of one of humanity's oldest drug habits discovered
   5. The Conversation — Ancient teeth reveal the Ice Age origins of the world’s 4th most common addictive drug
   6. BBC — Drug use may have begun 25,000 years ago, new research finds
   7. Popular Science — Humans experimented with drugs 23,000 years earlier than we thought
   8. Science Daily — Ancient teeth reveal humans were getting high 25,000 years ago
   9. 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
   10. hightimes.com — Prehistoric High: 25,000-Year-Old Teeth May Hold the Oldest Evidence of Psychoactive Drug Use
   11. news.ssbcrack.com — Ancient Evidence Suggests Humans Used Psychoactive Substances 25,000 Years Ago
   confidence 95%