Indonesian foragers may have sucked on mind-altering nuts 25,000 years ago, research finds
By Ian Sample
Scientists may have found the earliest evidence yet of humans using psychoactive drugs. Researchers studying two ancient skeletons from Sulawesi, Indonesia, found unusual grooves worn deep into their teeth, along with traces of arecoline, the psychoactive compound found in betel nuts. One skeleton dates back as far as 25,000 years.
The researchers suggest these foragers may have regularly sucked on betel nuts, possibly for their mind-altering effects or even to relieve tooth pain. The findings push evidence of psychoactive plant use back thousands of years and offer a glimpse into a habit that remains common across parts of Asia and the Pacific today. But the discovery also hints at a painful downside: prolonged nut-sucking may have caused the very tooth problems people were trying to treat.
