Mastodawn

Nut-cutter, India, late 18th century AD

#Betel nuts have been giving people a buzz for over 4,000 years
Chewing #betelnuts is a cultural practice in parts of Southeast #Asia. When chewed, these reddish nuts, which are the fruit of the areca palm, release #psychoactive compounds that heighten alertness and energy, promote feelings of euphoria, and help with relaxation. They are usually wrapped in betel leaves with lime paste made from powdered shells or corals, depending on the region.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/ancient-teeth-show-people-were-getting-high-off-betel-nuts-4000-years-ago/

Betel nuts have been giving people a buzz for over 4,000 years

Ancient teeth reveal that a stimulant has been used since the Bronze Age.

Ars Technica

Ars Technica News Aug 19, 2025

Betel nuts have been giving people a buzz for over 4,000 years https://arstechni.ca/rFJC #Archeology #stimulants #betelnuts #chemistry #Science #Biology #drugs

Betel nuts have been giving people a buzz for over 4,000 years

Ancient teeth reveal that a stimulant has been used since the Bronze Age.

Ars Technica

michael Aug 2, 2025

31-Jul-2025
4,000-year-old teeth record the earliest traces of people chewing #psychoactive #betelNuts
New methods make the ‘invisible visible’ to find evidence of deeply rooted cultural practice which otherwise might have been lost in the #archaeological record

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1092342

#science #humans #archaology #anthropology #drugs

4,000-year-old teeth record the earliest traces of people chewing psychoactive betel nuts

Humans have used psychoactive plants for their narcotic effects for thousands of years. Throughout Thailand, remains of betel nuts, plants used for their stimulant effects, have been discovered at burial sites. To learn more about the practice, an international team of researchers have examined 4,000-year-old teeth and found traces of compounds from betel nuts. This indicates that betel nut chewing has been practiced for thousands of years, if not more, in the country. The study is the first to detect ‘archaeologically invisible’ cues in dental plaque, revealing ancient behaviors and practices that otherwise could have been lost to time.

EurekAlert!