研究人员在印度尼西亚南苏拉威西发现的古代人类遗骨上，确认了迄今最早的槟榔使用证据。1这些遗骨年代可追溯至距今25000-16000年前和7600-6300年前，其上存在的特异性牙齿深沟槽通过生物分子分析和实验验证，被确认为长期吮吸槟榔坚果所致。1牙齿中检测到的槟榔主要精神活性生物碱——槟榔碱进一步证实了这一发现。1该研究发表在《Science Advances》期刊上。1
这项发现表明，槟榔的习惯使用起源于冰河时代，远早于农业时代的出现，是人类已知最古老的习惯性成瘾物质使用形式。1槟榔目前是全球第四大常见成瘾物质，仅次于酒精、咖啡因和尼古丁。1研究发现，古人类直接吮吸完整的槟榔坚果，而现代槟榔咀嚼则需要混合熟石灰。1相比之下，考古学证据中最早的槟榔使用记录仅出现在约3500年前的泰国，书面记载的最早追溯到2000年前的印度和中国。1
Researchers have uncovered evidence that betel nut chewing—the world's fourth most common addictive substance after alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine—originated during the Ice Age, far earlier than previously documented.1 Analysis of ancient human remains discovered in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, dating to 25,000–16,000 years ago and 7,600–6,300 years ago, revealed distinctive deep grooves in the teeth consistent with the long-term sucking of betel nuts.1 Through biomolecular analysis and experimental validation, researchers identified arecoline, the primary psychoactive alkaloid in betel nuts, within the dental tissues, confirming regular habitual use among Ice Age hunter-gatherers.1
The findings, published in Science Advances, substantially extend the documented history of betel nut consumption beyond previously known evidence.1 While the earliest archaeological evidence had dated to approximately 3,500 years ago in Thailand, and written records to around 2,000 years ago in India and China, the newly discovered remains demonstrate that this addictive practice emerged during the Pleistocene epoch.1 Modern betel nut chewing typically involves mixing the nut with slaked lime, but the ancient users examined in this study directly sucked whole betel nuts, representing what researchers describe as humanity's oldest known form of habitual addictive substance use.1
评论
还没有评论，欢迎留下第一条。