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Study find humans were getting high on hallucinogenic drugs 3,000 years ago

Home> News

Updated 18:56 7 Apr 2023 GMT+1Published 18:55 7 Apr 2023 GMT+1

Study find humans were getting high on hallucinogenic drugs 3,000 years ago

It turns out that our ancestors had developed their own ways of getting high

Joe Harker

Joe Harker

Scientists have discovered clear evidence that humans who lived 3,000 years ago were getting high on the ancient equivalent of hallucinogenic drugs.

History is a rich tapestry and the more we look back at what people used to be like in the past the more we can see that some things just never change over the years.

It turns out that through the ages humans have liked to complain about their kids not being respectful enough, make guides of useful phrases for tourists to know and go to bars to unwind and have a good time.

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We've managed to learn more about people's eating and drinking habits, which has let us know that about 3,000 years ago they were making blue cheese and brewing beer.

At around about that time ancient humans were also having a fine old time getting high on whatever drugs they could make.

A new study has shown evidence of people engaging in rituals where they took drugs and got high, though it's probably a little bit too late to bust them for doing drugs.

Human hair kept in containers in caves contained hallucinogenic substances.
P. Witte/Nature.com

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Experts were able to work this out by analyzing strands of human hair from an ancient burial site in Menorca, Spain and finding some very interesting substances on them.

They studied samples of hair from the Es Càrritx cave which is believed to have been inhabited by humans about 3,600 years ago and used as a burial chamber until around 2,800 years ago.

Other studies have found around 210 people buried in the cave, but the new research has found strands of hair placed in containers in a separate and sealed part of the back of the cave.

Testing these hairs the scientists found that strands which had been dyed red contained traces of psychoactive substances atropine, scopolamine and ephedrine.

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These substances would have produced 'strong and realistic hallucinations', and the scientists believe they came from various plants which were used in rituals.

The study in the Menorcan cave has found direct evidence that ancient humans used drugs.
Twitter/@fedkukso

The researchers theorize that the circles carved into the containers with the hallucinogenic-laden hair were supposed to represent eyes and could have been meant to depict the hallucinations users would go on.

They also suggest that the drugs were used by shamans to conduct rituals, with the substances derived from the mandrake, henbane, thorn apple and joint pine plants.

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Other studies have found historical evidence of drug use through the ages, including one which discovered that early Christians may have spiked their wine with hallucinogenic drugs.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy/hdh.sd/Scientific Reports/Nature.com

Topics: Drugs, News, Science

Joe Harker
Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

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@MrJoeHarker

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