Overview
- The study published Sept. 9 in Science Advances reports two rare skeletons from South Sulawesi dated to about 25,000–16,000 and 7,600–6,300 years ago with unusually deep, rounded grooves on their teeth.
- Researchers linked the grooves to repeated sucking of whole betel (areca) nuts after experimental wear tests showed the pattern matches a 1–2 cm round object pressed repeatedly against teeth.
- Chemical analysis of dental tissue detected arecoline, the nut’s main neuroactive compound, providing direct molecular evidence that the individuals used areca.
- Laboratory assays soaked betel nuts in artificial saliva and tested the extracts on cells engineered with human brain receptors, showing the nut releases compounds that affect neural activity even without added lime.
- Authors say the finding pushes routine psychoactive-plant use well before farming, ties an ancient pain-relief habit to modern betel traditions, and signals long-standing health costs such as severe dental damage and cancer risk.