New research has revealed that inhabitants of Menorca, located about 204 km southeast of Barcelona, consumed hallucinogenic drugs approximately three millennia ago.
Scientific Reports has published a report stating that the Es Càrritx cave, situated on the south-western side of Menorca and containing over 200 human graves, is believed to be a funeral site for about six centuries until 800 BCE.
The report highlights that signs of human activity in the cave showed that ancient human civilization in the area consumed drugs derived from plants and bushes, with the potential to be quite strong. These substances were likely used as part of rituals held at the cave, which may have involved shamans ‘who were capable of controlling the side-effects of the plant drugs’.
According to the research, scientific analysis of hair locks, dyed red during ancient rituals that could have come from more than one person, detected three psychoactive substances: hallucination-inducing atropine and scopolamine, and ephedrine, which boosts energy and alertness.
The research further revealed that containers found in the cave had spiral motifs carved on the lids, which are believed to have been created to represent the ‘altered states of consciousness’ experienced while under the influence of hallucinogens. Historically, evidence has been discovered that indicates human consumption of drugs and alcohol. For example, ancient Egyptians used alcohol in 3500 BCE, while ancient Chinese people consumed cannabis (the source of marijuana) around 3000 BCE.
Similarly, ancient people in present-day Switzerland ate poppy seeds (the source of opium) in 2500 BCE. Furthermore, coca leaves (the source of cocaine) have been chewed for thousands of years by ancient Homo sapiens around the world.
These findings offer an insight into the rich history of human consumption of drugs and the role that they have played in human society over thousands of years.
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