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3mo ago

Elite Hallucinogenic Rituals at Chavín de Huántar Linked to Early Andean Class Divisions

New findings confirm the use of psychoactive plants and ritual music to reinforce hierarchical social structures 2,000 years before the Inca.

The site of Chavin de Huantar in modern-day Peru hosts several monumental buildings overseeing a large plaza, located at an elevation of 10,000 ft.
Image
A rendering of the chamber, or gallery, where the snuff tubes were discovered. This private chamber had restricted access, suggesting that the use of psychedelics was a special ritual reserved for the elite.
CREDIT: Daniel Contreras

Overview

  • Chemical analyses of bone snuff tubes at Chavín de Huántar revealed residues of wild tobacco and vilca beans, a DMT-related hallucinogen.
  • These psychoactive rituals were restricted to elite participants in private chambers, emphasizing exclusivity and control over mystical experiences.
  • Archaeologists uncovered conch shell trumpets and acoustically designed chambers, indicating that music played a central role in these ceremonies.
  • The rituals, combining hallucinogens and music, reinforced social hierarchies by linking leadership to supernatural power and ideology.
  • Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study sheds light on how Chavín culture used immersive rituals to naturalize inequality.