Indonesian foragers may have sucked on mind-altering nuts 25,000 years ago, research finds
- What may be the earliest known evidence for human drug taking has been traced to ancient Indonesian foragers who sucked on mind-altering nuts as long as 25,000 years ago.
- Analysis of two exceptionally rare skeletons from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi revealed dramatic tooth wear and traces of a psychoactive substance in the individuals’ remaining teeth, suggesting they routinely sucked on hard, abrasive betel nuts.
- Although little known in western societies, betel nuts are the world’s fourth most widely used psychoactive substance after alcohol, caffeine and nicotine, with an estimated tenth
Unverified
- What may be the earliest known evidence for human drug taking has been traced to ancient Indonesian foragers who sucked on mind-altering nuts as long as 25,000 years ago.
- Analysis of two exceptionally rare skeletons from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi revealed dramatic tooth wear and traces of a psychoactive substance in the individuals’ remaining teeth, suggesting they routinely sucked on hard, abrasive betel nuts.
- Although little known in western societies, betel nuts are the world’s fourth most widely used psychoactive substance after alcohol, caffeine and nicotine, with an estimated tenth
Sources: Guardian