Drugs Discovered in Ancient Andean Mummies’ Hair
The use of psychoactive drug use in ancient Andes has been discovered in the hair of mummies, according to a new study. The predecessors of Inca, the Tiwanaku made use of mind-altering drugs. Drugs were made available through wide trade networks.
The details of the findings have been highlighted in the Journal of Archaeological Science, October issue.
Recently, scientists observed 32 mummified Tiwanaku bodies, which were discovered in Northern Chile’s Azapa Valley, located in the Atacama Desert.
The researchers found harmine compound in the hairs of a male adult and a year old baby, dating somewhere between A.D.800 and 1200. Harmine helps humans to absorb hallucinogens and is probably a strong antidepressant.
Harmine was probably used for medicinal and therapeutic practices, some related to childbirth and pregnancy according to study co-author, Juan Pablo Ogalde, chemical archaeologist, University of Tarapaca, Arica, Chile. It is also possible harmine may have been used in religious rituals.
Snuff kits have been found containing Vilca tree powder. X-rays of Tiwanaku skulls show nasal damage, which could have been perhaps caused by frequent sniffing. Also snuffing imagery has been portrayed in Tiwanaku ceramics, stone work, wood work and textiles, which indicate snuffing rituals were part of the Tiwanaku culture.
Alexei Vranich, archaeologist, University of California, Los Angeles, who did not take part in the study said that many were attracted to the Tiwanaku religion because of the usage of these mind-Altering substances.
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