25,000-Year-Old Betel Nut Use Reveals Ancient Psychoactive Habit
TL;DR
Scientists analyzing two 25,000–16,000 year-old skeletons from Sulawesi found abnormal tooth wear and chemical traces of arecoline, indicating betel nut chewing as far back as 25,000 years ago—well before agriculture—suggesting ancient people used the psychoactive substance (and possibly for pain relief) long before farming.
- Their “rotted” teeth reveal shocking drug use going back 25,000 years Futura, le média qui explore le monde
- Commonly used psychoactive substance may have prehistoric origins CNN
- Scientists Discover the Earliest Evidence of Drug Use in Really Old Teeth The New York Times
- Indonesian foragers may have sucked on mind-altering nuts 25,000 years ago, research finds The Guardian
- 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 Smithsonian Magazine
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on Futura, le média qui explore le monde