Ancient Sulawesi Teeth Reveal Betel Nut Use 25,000 Years Ago

A team of Indonesian and Australian researchers identified betel nut residues in the jaws of two ancient individuals from South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The older fossil, dated between 16,000 and 25,000 years ago, represents the earliest direct proof of psychoactive drug use by humans, surpassing the prior record of 13,000-year-old beer brewing. The teeth exhibit deep, repeated grooves that the scientists interpret as the result of sucking a small betel nut, a practice that would have numbed the mouth but also damaged dental health.

Laboratory simulations showed that betel nut saliva could affect brain-cell receptors, albeit less intensely than modern chewing with slaked lime. The findings highlight a possible early pain-management technique and suggest that drug use may extend even further back in human history.