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| Figure 1: Taino sculpture depicting a shaman in a trance from consuming cohoba powder. |
Today’s blog post will cover the topic of the archaeology of
drug use. This topic was chosen because
of the upcoming new year, which elicits celebrations of all kinds, particularly
those involving controlled substances such as drugs. While many people believe that drug use is a
recent cultural phenomenon this blog post will discuss how it is actually one
that has a very long history among humans, starting with our hominid ancestors,
and how psychoactive plants were initially used prior to becoming the forbidden
substances of today.
Paleontological evidence has demonstrated potential drug use
among our hominid ancestors, although the exact timeline is unclear. Some sources claim that psychoactive drugs
were used as early as 200 million years ago, while others claim more
conservative estimates at 60,000 years ago.
This evidence takes the form of paleobotanical/ecofact evidence found in
Neanderthal burials. It is unclear if
these psychoactive plants were placed there intentionally or were brought in by
rodents, though. Some scholars believe
that the consumption of psychoactive plants may have unintentionally assisted
with the evolution of our hominid ancestors.
Consuming psychoactive drugs would have created states of euphoria that
would have assisted consumers from feeling fatigue, hunger, pain, etc. With resources being scarce hunger and
fatigue would have been commonplace, and as a result drug use could have been
used as an extreme means of survival. This
idea, however, is difficult to test, though, and it is merely a largely
untested hypothesis at this time.
Archaeological evidence, however, provides more clear cut
evidence of the use of psychoactive drugs.
The earliest evidence is traced back to as early as 10,000 years ago in
China, and there are later evidence of drug use throughout the Old and New
Worlds. This evidence is from multiple
sources, including botanical/ecofact evidence, isotopic analyses of human soft
and hard tissues, and material cultural remains (e.g. pottery, wall paintings,
texts, etc.) (Figure 1). The use of psychoactive
plants was not meant to be used for pleasure originally, but instead these
substances were used for medicinal and ritual purposes. The ancient Chinese understood the pain
killing properties of cannabis and used it regularly as a medicine. This contrasted its use among early Hindus of
modern day India who identified cannabis as a gift from the gods. In the New World coca leaves were chewed for
ritual as well as medicinal purposes, which remains common today. There are other incidences of psychoactive
drugs being used for ritual purposes, such as the case of oracles who were
force fed drugs to induce altered states of consciousness to “commune with the
gods” or soldiers who were encouraged to ingest psychoactive plants assisted to
remove their fears and encourage bravery.
The use of drugs changed as societies changed, though, with
motivations moving from medical and ritual to social and pleasurable. This change occurred along with the rise of
the state level societies and continues into today. Today, these social and pleasurable associations
with drug use are connected to acts of deviance among several different
societies. This deviant association has
not altered the popularity of use, though.
Recent trends, particularly among Western cultures, resemble the
original motivations for drug use as laws are being passed to allow for the medical
use of marijuana and the controlled use of opioids. This just demonstrates that while culture
changes much always remains the same.
References
Guerra-Doce, Elisa.
2015. Psychoactive Substances in
Prehistoric Times: Examining in Archaeological Evidence. Time and Mind 8: 91-112.
Miller, Mark.
2015. Archaeological Study
Explores Drug-Taking and Altered States in Prehistory. Ancient-Origins. http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/archaeological-study-explores-drug-taking-prehistory-020210
No Author. No
Date. Classical Antiquity: General Drug
Use. The Brain: McGill University. http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/capsules/pdf_articles/general_drug_use.pdf
No Author. No
Date. Marijuana-The First Twelve
Thousand Years. Schaffer Library of Drug
Use. http://druglibrary.org/Schaffer/hemp/history/first12000/1.htm
Saah, Tammy.
2005. The Evolutionary Origins
and Significance of Drug Addiction. Harm
Reduction Journal 2: 8
51 comments:
I feel like I support the hypothesis of using psychoactive drugs as a means of survival for our hominid ancestors. With the limited resources and highly strenuous lifestyle, the reasoning of WHY they would do it is sound. I am curious, however, as you mentioned that this has been largely untested, how would someone conduct research on that hypothesis?
Ultimately, very carefully. As we cannot go back in time and testing their bones (when and where available & unfossilized) we turn to primate studied. By observing what primates do in their natural environment we can make inferences into what our hominid ancestors may have done.
I found it interesting that The earliest evidence of drug use is traced back to as early as 10,000 years ago in China. It was also interesting that some people use drugs for ritual reasons.
If you think about it drugs are still used for ritual purposes even today. For example, Christians who drink wine (alcohol is a drug) for Communion/Eucharist.
With laws being passed to allow for the medical use of marijuana and the controlled use of opioids. Do you believe earlier research has been done on these drugs and should of been opened up to the public for earlier health conditions?
The public already has access to the information regarding drug use by people in the past, so I'm not certain what specifically you are asking. Can you clarify?
If you think about it, its really crazy that drugs has been around for so long. "The earliest evidence is traced back to as early as 10,000 years ago in China", who would have ever though that its been drugs around for that long. A lot of drugs are plants, so i can understand why these drugs been around so long but its unbelievable to me because my ancestors could've been using drugs.
LaTroya "Trey" Jamison
Are there evidence to prove any mild or severe side effects from the use of drugs based off the inferences that are currently made about the hominid ancestors?
It makes me wonder how they thought to ignite a plant with fire to achieve the trick of "high".
Excellent question. As many of the side effects are based in physiological responses we do not have any means of testing that hypothesis.
It probably wasn't intentional but an accidental discovery.
S.Carter
I just want to know if the psychoactive plants were for medicinal and ritual purposes, why would the new world begin to put other chemicals in the plants to produce the drugs we have today? The plants already gave a euphoric feeling.
I can kind of answer this, although the person to talk to would be a friend of mine who is working on his PhD in Chemistry. Medicinal plants have inspired the creation of various pharmaceutical drugs because while these remedies were effective they either had nasty side effects or only addressed pain relief and not assisting in the removal of the cause of the pain. For example, we get aspirin from watching Indigenous groups chew on Willow bark. If I recall correctly there are several reasons why you do not want to chew on willow bark, and one involves a nasty and unpleasant side effect, which is why you are discouraged from taking aspirin often. As well, if we used plants exclusively we would render them extinct. Understanding their chemical compounds and creating them synthetically is a cheaper and environmentally viable option. :)
Is there evidence to prove that the psychoactive drugs were not useful or helpful in any kind of way?
Interesting question, Timberly. We actually do not have solid evidence to support either hypothesis that psychoactive drugs were good or bad. We just go by what people in the past wrote about and what we know of them today. So it is likely that they were bad, too.
"The ancient Chinese understood the pain killing properties of cannabis and used it regularly as a medicine." Even ancient Chinese people knew that weed was good for you lol
Monique McAllister
Brandon Allen
I found in many experiments that alcohol can be way more dangerous than marijuana. why do you think marijuana haven't been legal all over the united states yet?
Do you by chance know what type of drugs they may have used? If so, do those drugs still exist?
Daisha, the answer to that question is in the post.
So drugs have been around this long i'm sure if people didn't abuse drugs it wouldn't be looked at so negatively.
As i was reading this article I was wondering if the drugs were apart of trade(were they profitable like they are today) and also who all could could access, was it just people who are higher up (no pun intended) or eveyone.
According to the article, drugs were used in ancient China around 10,000 years ago for medicinal and ritual purposes. I feel like it is hard for archaeologist to assume that our hominid ancestors were using drugs around 200 million years ago just based off of burial sites.
Jovie Black
What type of drug did they use? Also, What did the drug do for them? I think I am in agreement with the psychoactive drugs.
"The use of drugs changed as societies changed, though, with motivations moving from medical and ritual to social and pleasurable." I feel like this is still true today. I think the use of drugs changes, as well as the drug being used changes as society changes. I could be completely wrong, but I feel like certain drugs are used more now, then 10 years ago.
Logan Taylor
I find it interesting that drug use was abe to be tracked so long ago. In todays generation it can be kind of difficult to track any type of drug in my opinion. What type of drugs were used?
-Daisha Benton
Dalyla jordan
It's so crazy how drug use was tracked so easily back then but some how it's a big struggle to track drug use today will all the technology we have today
So medicates have been around this long i'm certain if individuals didn't mishandle drugs it wouldn't be taken a gander at so contrarily.
Drugs have always seemed to have been around since we know. Why is sit such a problem now? while alcohol is still very much legal and kills people everyday.
I find this post intriguing because in the sports world it is argued every day whether or not cannabis should be deemed illegal or not. Here you just gave evidence as to why it should be acceptable because it does wonders for pain. As we all know athletes go through excruciating pain year in and year out, so why not indulge in a little bit of cannabis to help the body heal.
I find it really interesting how they tracked drug use back then , now its not that hard to me i think it is very easy to track different drug uses in today society.
Ainya Lomax
I had figured drugs were used long before modern day use, but knowing how they were used and what our ancestors took really opened my eyes, I absolutely found this very interesting.
The fact that drugs were being used by them to me shows that the label put on drugs to day is more focused on the negative affects of substances comeparde to back then they used drugs to reach a higher power in which the drug was not being abused.
The widespread use of drugs does tend to cause societal problems like violence, laziness or just chaos in general. The negative effects are shared and the good effects aren't, making the negative effects much more noticeable and causing drugs to be looked down upon.
I think that it is cool that they can see how drugs were used years ago. I also think that it is really interesting how we now use drugs for so many purposes. Because of how far we come in life the drugs now are abused so much and killing off some of the human race.
Kenneth Granger
The widespread use of drugs can lead to other factors of society and is one of the main reasons of death and laziness in communities today. It is interesting to see that drugs go back this far in history and have had similar effects.
Im just curious on how their first experience of smoking/doing a certain drug, what made them think to do so? It is really fascinating to me that they would even attempt that, seeing how I am not brave enough at all to doing anything without clear research.
Who would have knew that drugs go so far back into history like this was a quite interesting blog . Like how did they know that some of the drugs that they came about were even safe to use .- Mykia Chaney
Its very interesting how far back we go into history with drugs and drugs usage. They were able to distinguish what drug was what and how it should be used.
No one ever thinks of drug use starting in china. America is so blind by all the drugs now that they dont know where it started from.
It’s truly amazing to see where and when drugs starters , I wouldn’t dare believe if someone came to me and said drugs started in China. The overall use of drugs and the recreational purposes is just mesmerizing as I read further . As well to know that it’s still technically used the same way I’m the pain killing aspect I guess as stated above , somethings don’t change .. while culture evolves .
-Jazlyn Logan
Hi my name is Avery Davis, and I find this blog interesting. I think personally that drugs has had a big role in society and that goes for legal and illegal drugs. However i think some drugs are good to use and can physically help you.
Its interesting seeing when and where drugs began. The way they used drugs compared to how drugs are used now is interesting as well. I do find it crazy how drugs were able to be tracked back then,
-Kyla Thomas
Hi my name is Aleisha watts, and I have found that this topic has grown worldwide considering the use of drugs has changed the ultimate reason for drug use. I feel like if people did not abuse the use of drugs it would probably be legal, but the fact that people are mixing other chemicals in it to make it stronger, it turns into a health alert. I like the fact that research scientists have found that medical use is beneficial in many ways. I knew that drugs have been around for a long time however the fact it traces back so far is amazing. One thing I would not have believed is that it traced back to china because it just doesn't seem realistic. Today's drugs are so dangerous. I wonder who was the first to try it and what was the effects of it because I know these drugs today are something different.
I know that drugs can be seen in both a positive and negative light. I think they serve more of a positive affect. Yes there are people that purposely misuse drugs but there are also people that need them and use them for good purposes.
Mya Bursey
I know you can use drugs in a good or a bad way, but how do you know if the drug help you are not? How you know that can help or hurt you? Do they just use people like a test?
-Jaden Clark
Interesting questions, Jaden. As we discussed in class anthropology is a holistic discipline, meaning we have to draw upon other subfields to get a better understanding of how people think, act, etc. and ultimately understand what it means to be human. If we look at why people use drugs today there are a variety of reasons cited, including medicinal/pain management, pleasure, addiction, etc. If we look at nonhuman primates we see they use a variety of "drugs" for medicinal purposes, as addressed in a different blog post. According to the written records of past people they cite various reasons for drug use, including the ones previously cited above (common among contemporary human groups) and others, such as religious purposes. It is through multiple lines of evidence that we can get a better understanding of how and why behaviors happen and choices are made. :)
Its not a shock to me to know that drugs somehow started in china but to see how society's usage has changed overtime and the ability for drugs to be tracked even back then is intriguing to me.
This was interesting to read. I didn't though the drugs started in China. I don't do drugs because they're bad and I don't want to get addicted to something that I know I shouldn't be doing. I believe that some people abuse drugs. For example, I had a friend who had to get major surgery. She had a safe recovery, but the doctor prescribed her to take opioids. I don't really know a lot about drugs, but I do know that is one addictive drug. My friend began to take them every day for the pain that she was experiencing. When she finished recovering she didn't need them anymore, but she kept taking them. She would even buy them from strangers. I became worried because I didn't want anything to happen to her. Later that day, that's when I received the bad news that she died from an overdose of taking opioids.
AJ Moore
AJ, I am sorry to hear about your friend. Given your age I assume that this was a recent event, which saddens me because when I was your age (20 or so years ago) a similar thing happened to a friend of mine. The opioid crisis has been going on for far too long, and it is very clear that these drugs are addictive. Yet, I don't think there has been enough done to mitigate the risks, and people, such as your friend and yourself, are continuing to pay the price. :(
What caught my attention the most was that the earliest evidence of drug use is traced back to as early as 10,000 years ago in China. Another thing that was new to me is that drugs can be used for ritual reasons, that's odd. - Maka'la Reynolds
I didn’t know that drugs have been around for a long time. I thought that only herbs were out. I think drugs are good but it depends on how you use them. For example, some people use drugs for medical reasons. Others might use drugs just for the fun of it.
AJ Moore
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