Oldest known drug use traced to 25,000-year betel nut habit
TL;DR Summary
New archaeological analysis of Sulawesi foragers (25,000–16,000 years ago) finds deep grooves in teeth and traces of arecoline from betel nuts, suggesting ancient humans used betel nuts as pain relief long before farming, possibly creating a cycle of regular use and dental damage that points to the oldest known drug use.
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- 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
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