Ancient Indonesian Remains Provide Earliest Evidence of Human Drug Use

Researchers have discovered evidence that ancient hunter gatherers in Indonesia used mind altering substances as far back as 25,000 years ago. The study, published in Science Advances, analyzed the skeletal remains of two individuals from the island of Sulawesi. One individual is dated between 16,000 and 25,000 years old, while the other dates to between 6,300 and 7,600 years ago. Both individuals exhibited unusual dental wear characterized by deep, rounded grooves in their molars.

Professor Adam Brumm of Griffith University and his international team concluded that these marks were caused by the habitual sucking of whole betel nuts. Biochemical analysis of the dental tissues confirmed the presence of arecoline, the primary neuroactive alkaloid in the nut. Experiments using artificial saliva demonstrated that sucking on the nuts releases enough arecoline to produce a physiological effect on the brain, including mild euphoria and increased alertness. This practice predates the agricultural revolution, which was previously thought to be the era when regular drug use began through fermented beverages like beer.

Modern betel use typically involves chewing a mixture of sliced seeds and slaked lime, known as a quid, which stains the mouth red. However, the ancient foragers lacked this staining, suggesting they simply sucked on the whole nuts. Researchers suggest this may have started as a remedy for toothaches due to the analgesic properties of arecoline. This likely created a cycle where the abrasive nuts wore down the teeth, causing more pain and leading to further consumption.

While the scientific findings are consistent across reports, the framing varies by political lean. Center left sources focus on the evolutionary roots of human behavior and the archaeological significance of the discovery. A left leaning source frames the discovery within a broader discussion of addiction and the potentially detrimental consequences of intoxicants.