Indonesian foragers may have sucked on mind-altering nuts 25,000 years ago, research finds

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1. 4d ago

   Ancient Teeth Reveal Earliest Evidence of Human Drug Use

   New archaeological research indicates that foragers in Indonesia may have consumed mind-altering substances as long as 25,000 years ago. Scientists studying ancient teeth discovered traces pointing to the habitual use of intoxicating plants during the Ice Age. The findings suggest that human drug habits stretch back tens of thousands of years earlier than previously understood, altering our timeline of prehistoric consumption and addiction. Researchers identified wear patterns and chemical signatures linked to these mind-altering materials in the dental remains of ancient hunter-gatherers.

   Why it matters

   This discovery pushes the timeline of documented human drug use back by thousands of years. Scientists previously lacked direct physical proof of habitual substance use extending this deep into the prehistoric era. The findings offer rare insight into how early human populations interacted with mood-altering flora in ancient environments.

   What is confirmed

   • Indonesian foragers may have sucked on mind-altering nuts 25,000 years ago.
   • Ancient teeth reveal the earliest evidence of habitual drug use.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The individual regularly sucked on betel nuts, leading to worsening dental disease.

   What to watch next

   • Further dental analysis on other ancient remains from the region
   • Additional peer-reviewed publications detailing the chemical residues found on the teeth
   Sources used for this update (7)

   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. BBC — Drug use may have begun 25,000 years ago, new research finds
   5. Popular Science — Humans experimented with drugs 23,000 years earlier than we thought
   6. Science Daily — Ancient teeth reveal humans were getting high 25,000 years ago
   7. www.smithsonianmag.com — 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
   confidence 90%