Support our Kickstarter

Prehistoric Man's Paraphernalia

Jennifer Flynn
Caricoulp.jpg

North Carolina State archeologist Scott Fitzpatrick and University College London graduate student Quetta Kaye have discovered three inhaling bowls on the Caribbean island of Carriacou that appear to have been transported to the region by prehistoric South American tribes. These artifacts are the first evidence of such early drug use, which has long been suspected amongst scientists.

The ceramic bowls which predate the emergence of pottery on the island by 800 years are thought to have been brought to the island by the ancestors of the Suazan Troumassoid people. This people group, believed to have been very spiritual, likely used the bowls for sniffing a hallucinogenic powder from Anadenathera peregrina called cohoba for ritual purposes.

Story suggested by Philip Heying

Image: "Untitled" by cowbell on Flickr courtesy of Creative Commons Licensing.

Comments

cohoba

Submitted by vivifidal on Tue, 10/28/2008 - 14:40.
It's my understanding that the Taino and Caribs tended toward Piptadenia gonoacantha when preparing cohoba while the South Americans usually used Anadenanthera columbina or peregrina although many diferent mimosa/lesgume releated species were employed. A DNA and akloid analysis might give better clues as to the origin of the bowl.