Ancient foraging practices reveal early psychoactive substance use
The remains of two prehistoric foragers discovered on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi indicate that humans began experimenting with mind-altering substances thousands of years earlier than previously understood, reports BritPanorama.
Archaeological findings suggest that these individuals were using the betel nut, a psychoactive fruit seed from the areca palm, dating between 25,000 and 16,000 years ago. This predates the previously thought timeline of drug use linked to agricultural societies, which emerged around 13,000 years ago.
Betel nut is regarded as the fourth most widely used psychoactive substance globally, following caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. Approximately 1 in 10 people today engages in the tradition of chewing processed betel nut mixed with slaked lime, which enhances the absorption of its main active compound, arecoline. Users often report mild euphoria and increased alertness from its effects.
Professor Adam Brumm from Griffith University explains that evidence shows prehistoric foragers used whole betel nuts, likely as a pain reliever, inadvertently leading to dependency on the substance. “The new findings from Sulawesi suggest foraging communities in some parts of the world were not just using plant drugs at a far earlier time,” he stated, “they were becoming dependent on their neuroactive properties and suffering from the negative consequences of long-term use.”
The discovery arose from a research undertaking that unearthed remains within Leang Bulu Bettue cave in 2017. Among the findings was an upper jawbone fragment, which belonged to a forager, exhibiting distinctive dental wear patterns that suggest habitual use of the nut. Dental analysis indicated traces of arecoline, reinforcing the hypothesis that these substances were utilized for therapeutic purposes, albeit at significant dental health costs.
Prior beliefs positioned the advent of drug use with the onset of agriculture, with early domestications leading to the intentional development of psychoactive plants. Evidence suggests significant practices such as brewing beer during the Neolithic Revolution and additional uses of betel nuts as early as 4,000 years ago when farming began to proliferate in Southeast Asia.
The implications of Brumm’s findings extend beyond simply establishing a timeline; they prompt questions regarding the societal context in which these practices were rooted. Research indicates a long-standing cultural tradition of using plants for pain relief and social interaction, shifting the understanding of ancient lifestyles and societal structures.
While the direct psychoactive effects of betel nuts in the absence of slaked lime remain uncertain, the researchers are keen to investigate how far back other substance habits may extend in human history. “Getting drunk on fermented fruits is not even unique to humans — birds do it,” Brumm noted, suggesting that early foragers likely consumed fermented products long before the rise of settled farming societies.
Future research endeavors promise to illuminate the resilience and adaptability of early human societies, revealing how the pursuit of relief, enjoyment, and social bonding shaped behaviors and practices across millennia.
