Ancient Indonesians used psychoactive substances 25,000 years ago
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Archaeologists in Indonesia discovered evidence that people consumed betel nuts, a psychoactive substance, as early as 25,000 years ago.
A team from Griffith University in Australia examined skeletal remains from early hunter-gatherers on the island of Sulawesi. They identified unusual wear patterns on the teeth of two individuals, dating from 25,000 to 16,000 years ago and 7,600 to 6,300 years ago, that indicated they had sucked on whole betel nuts.
The research suggests people used these nuts to achieve a mild euphoria and increased alertness. Professor Adam Brumm, who led the study, believes this could be the earliest evidence of drug use anywhere in the world. Previously, scientists thought psychoactive substance use began with the development of agriculture around 13,000 years ago, with fermented alcoholic beverages. Brumm’s team demonstrated that simply sucking on the nuts releases enough psychoactive compounds to affect brain function.
While the effects of consuming whole betel nuts likely differed from today’s prepared mixtures, the practice appears to have been intense enough to cause severe gum disease. Today, around one tenth of the world’s population chews betel nuts, typically mixed with lime and other ingredients, in parts of South and Southeast Asia.
