Archaeologists Discover the World's Oldest Evidence of Habitual Drug Use in the Teeth of a Hunter-Gatherer Who Lived Up to 25,000 Years Ago
- On September 9, 2026, researchers published findings in Science Advances identifying betel nut residue on ancient teeth from Sulawesi, suggesting habitual drug use occurred 25,000 years ago, pushing back previous estimates by over 10,000 years.
- Archaeologists previously believed psychoactive drug use emerged roughly 13,000 years ago in Israel alongside agriculture, while betel nut usage was thought to have started only 3,500 years ago.
- Professor Adam Brumm of Griffith University's Australian Research Center for Human Evolution analyzed two hunter-gatherer skeletons from Sulawesi dating 25,000 to 16,000 years old. Biochemical analysis confirmed Arecoline residue, while dental grooves indicated habitual seed-sucking.
- While the seeds may have been used as a toothache remedy, Professor Brumm noted that habitual sucking caused severe dental damage, exposing inner pulp chambers and leading to chronic infections and difficulty eating.
- The study implies modern drug-taking behaviors are deeply rooted in forager traditions. Today, betel nut use remains almost ubiquitous among 10% of the world's population in the Asia-Pacific region, despite links to gum disease and tooth decay.
20 Articles
20 Articles
Researchers found evidence of drug use 25,000 years ago
Years ago I spent a couple of months in Malaysia. In the capital, Kuala Lumpur, I noticed little stalls selling betel nut. It's a psychoactive stimulant. I bought some from a vendor to try it. He gave me a kit with some sliced betel nuts, fresh betel nut leaves, and a dollop of lime (not the fruit, a white, moist powder made from burnt shells). — Read the rest
Deutsche Welle
TerraTraces of arecoline in fossils in Indonesia suggest that humans had been searching for the effects of plant stimulants for 25,000 years, long before they were supposed to.
A study conducted in Australia has revealed that the use of stimulant substances may date back 25,000 years.
Ancient Sulawesi Teeth Reveal Early Human Use of Areca Nut
The assumption that altering consciousness is a byproduct of settled, agricultural societies has been challenged by evidence from Sulawesi. Findings from the Late Pleistocene indicate that hunter-gatherers used psychoactive stimulants thousands of years before the first breweries appeared in the Levant, shifting the timeline of substance use deep into the Paleolithic. The focus of the research is the areca nut (Areca catechu), containing the alk…
Archaeologists Discover the World's Oldest Evidence of Habitual Drug Use in the Teeth of a Hunter-Gatherer Who Lived Up to 25,000 Years Ago
This individual may have regularly sucked on betel nuts, known for their mind-altering properties, leading to worsening dental disease. Researchers say the discovery sheds light on addiction in prehistoric environments
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