Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen Use

Oct. 29, 2008 -- Andean mummy hair has provided the first direct archaeological evidence of the consumption of hallucinogens in pre-Hispanic Andean populations, according to recent gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis.

Indirect evidence for psychoactive drug use in South America's ancient populations abound, ranging from the discovery of drug equipment to the identification of hallucinogenic herb residuals in snuffing kits.

However, there wasn't direct evidence that the ancient Andean people actually consumed mind-altering drugs.

To find a direct link, chemical archaeologist Juan Pablo Ogalde and colleagues at the University of Tarapacá in Arica, Chile, analyzed 32 mummies from the Azapa Valley in northern Chile.

Naturally mummified in the Acatama desert, the bodies belonged to the Tiwanaku, the ancestors of the Incas.

The little known Tiwanaku established a civilization around 1200 B.C. that prevailed for almost three millennia, becoming one of history's longest-running empires.

At the peak of their power, between 700 and 1100 A.D., they dominated the Andes, controlling large areas of Bolivia and Peru and parts of Argentina and Chile.

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Their burials often contain elaborately decorated snuffing trays and panpipes.

"At least in view of the grave goods, the Tiwanaku people were using hallucinogenic drugs," Ogalde and colleagues wrote in the October issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science.

Indeed, a previous chemical analysis of some snuffing tablets' powder found in the Acatama desert showed the presence of Vilca tree (Anadenanthera colubrina), a plant with seeds rich in hallucinogens.

"Surprisingly, none of the 32 mummies tested positive for hallucinogens consumption related to this plant," Ogalde told Discovery News.