European populations used plant-derived drugs since the Bronze Age, some 3,000 years ago. The remains of hallucinogenic and stimulant substances detected in a hair sample from an ancient shaman, found in the Cueva des Càrritx, in Menorca, confirm this. These findings, published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports, are the first direct evidence of the use of ancient drugs in Europe, which may have been used as part of ritual ceremonies.
Until now, the certainty that existed about the use of prehistoric drugs in Europe was based on indirect evidence, such as remains of opium alkaloids detected in Bronze Age containers or the appearance of hallucinogenic plants in ritual contexts and artistic representations.
The Cueva des Càrritx, in Menorca, was first occupied around 3,600 years ago. Until about 2,800 years ago, this site contained a chamber used as a burial space. Previous research suggested that some 210 people were buried there. However, only ten deceased individuals had their hair dyed red and a lock cut off and then stored in containers, decorated with concentric circles, which were found in a separate sealed chamber, located further back in the cave.
According to the analyses, these locks date from approximately 3,000 years ago. They were discovered years ago, but current forensic technologies did not exist then.
Led by Elisa Guerra-Doce, a tenured professor of prehistory at the University of Valladolid, the researchers subjected the hair samples to two well-known chemical techniques (ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectroscopy) to test whether they contained the alkaloids atropine, scopolamine (also called burundanga), and ephedrine.
Atropine and scopolamine are found naturally in the family of nightshade plants (mandrake, henbabe, prickly apple…), which when consumed can induce delirium, hallucinations and altered sensory perception. Ephedrine, for its part, is a stimulant derived from certain species of shrubs and pine trees, which can increase arousal, alertness, and physical activity.
The three substances were detected in three replicate hair samples, and the scientists suggest that the hallucinogenic plants may have been used as part of ritual ceremonies performed by a shaman. Furthermore, they suggest that the concentric circles on the wooden containers could represent the eyes and signify a metaphor for the visual hallucinations that can accompany the use of certain drugs. They also found other items, including a hairpin, comb, and wooden bowl and spatula.
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The hypothesis put forward by scientists is that, due to cultural changes and the transformation of social structures that occurred some 2,800 years ago, as a result of demographic growth, it could have happened that some individuals, reluctant to abandon the ancient traditions, They concealed a collection of ritual objects, possibly belonging to shamans, in the hope that the old social order could be reestablished in the future.
Unlike the information revealed by the DNA extracted from a Beethoven hair sample last March, which has revealed that he suffered from hepatitis B or that one of the musician’s paternal ancestors had an extramarital affair, the locks found in Menorca they were cut, which complicates obtaining the DNA, mainly contained in the root.
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