Adam Brumm

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Ancient Indonesian skeletons reveal earliest known human drug use

Lead researcher on the Sulawesi excavations

Two skeletons from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi carry teeth worn into deep, rounded grooves and traces of betel nut residue in their dental tissue. One individual lived 25,000 to 16,000 years ago; the other 7,600 to 6,300 years ago.

Updated 1 hour ago

Notable Quotes

Emerging up to 25,000 years ago in Sulawesi, thus long preceding the onset of agriculture, betel nut-sucking may be the earliest evidence for drug use anywhere in the world.

from Ancient Indonesian skeletons reveal earliest known human drug use · Updated 1 hour ago

So while this habit may have been a remedy for toothache, years of prolonged nut-sucking eventually caused much worse dental health problems, creating a cycle of continued habitual use.

from Ancient Indonesian skeletons reveal earliest known human drug use · Updated 1 hour ago