Indonesian foragers may have sucked on mind-altering nuts 25,000 years ago, research finds
Summary
Researchers found evidence that ancient foragers in Indonesia used mind-altering betel nuts as early as 25,000 years ago. Analysis of their teeth showed grooves caused by sucking on the nuts, along with traces of the psychoactive substance arecoline.Key Facts
- Two skeletons from Sulawesi, Indonesia, dated between 7,000 and 25,000 years old, had unusual tooth wear.
- The tooth grooves were deep and rounded, indicating repeated holding or sucking of hard, abrasive objects.
- Scientists linked the grooves to betel nuts, seeds commonly chewed for their psychoactive effects in many Asia-Pacific cultures.
- Betel nuts contain arecoline, a substance that can produce a mild "high" when chewed or sucked.
- Researchers confirmed arecoline traces in the dental tissues of the skeletons.
- Betel nuts are often chewed wrapped in betel leaves and mixed with slaked lime to increase drug effects today.
- The habit of chewing betel nuts may have started as a way to relieve toothache but caused dental damage over time.
- This study provides the earliest known physical evidence of psychoactive plant use by humans.
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