Ancient Indonesians used betel nut to alter minds
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Archaeologists in Indonesia discovered that people chewed betel nuts, a type of palm fruit, as early as 25,000 years ago, revealing the use of mind-altering substances far earlier than previously thought.
Researchers from Griffith University in Australia examined skeletons from the island of Sulawesi and found unusual tooth wear. They connected this wear pattern to the prolonged sucking of betel nuts, which produce mild euphoria and mental clarity. The team analyzed remains of two hunter-gatherers.
One skeleton dated to between 25,000 and 16,000 years ago, while the other lived between 7,600 and 6,300 years ago. Both skeletons showed deep, rounded grooves on their teeth, suggesting frequent betel nut consumption. Professor Adam Bram, who led the study, believes this is potentially the oldest evidence of drug use worldwide. He noted that betel nut is currently the fourth most widely used psychoactive substance globally, after alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine.
This discovery challenges the long-held belief that substance use began with the development of agriculture around 13,000 years ago, suggesting that the practice originates with prehistoric hunter-gatherers. Today, around 10% of the world’s population, primarily in South and Southeast Asia, chews betel nut mixed with lime and other ingredients.
