A new study published in Science Advances presents archaeological evidence suggesting that betel nut use dates back thousands of years, with hunter-gatherers in Indonesia potentially engaging with the substance as far back as 25,000 years ago. The research indicates that what is now the world’s fourth most commonly used mind-affecting substance—consumed by approximately 600 million people today—has ancient origins distinct from modern practices.
Researchers led by Adam Brumm of Griffith University discovered unusual grooves in ancient teeth excavated from Sulawesi, Indonesia. Two sets of remains showed distinctive wear patterns: one from a human who lived up to 25,000 years ago and another from approximately 8,000 years ago. The grooves were too deep and patterned to match known uses of teeth as tools among hunter-gatherers of that era, such as processing plant fibers or breaking materials. Instead, the wear patterns resembled historical examples of dental notches found in tobacco pipe smokers from colonial periods in Europe, America, and Australia, suggesting a habitual practice involving a foreign object held repeatedly against the teeth.
Brumm and colleagues hypothesized that the grooves resulted from sucking betel nuts over extended periods. To test this theory, they partnered with neuropharmacological researcher Roger Papke to determine whether sucking betel nuts could extract active compounds. Laboratory experiments using artificial saliva demonstrated that the substance successfully extracted arecoline, a chemical compound unique to betel nuts, which activated human brain receptors. Additionally, analysis of the ancient dental tissues revealed traces of arecoline, providing biochemical support for the hypothesis.
The researchers propose that early users may have sought the numbing and pain-relieving effects of arecoline. According to Brumm, the practice could have created a cycle of dependency: as repeated nut-sucking wore teeth down to the nerve, the resulting pain would drive further use of the substance for relief. While outside researchers describe the evidence as compelling, some note that additional investigation may be warranted. The findings contribute to broader understanding of human substance use throughout history, reflecting patterns of experimentation with mind-affecting substances across diverse cultures and time periods.
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