Psychedelics Allowed Ancient Peruvians to Consolidate Power, Study Says

In a new study, archaeologists uncovered 2,500-year-old psychoactive drug paraphernalia in an archaeological site in the Peruvian highlands. Ancient Peruvians likely used psychedelics during intricate and exclusive rituals, according to the study’s authors. The study, published May 5 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that the ancient Chavín people, a pre-Incan society that dwelt in the Peruvian Andes, consumed tobacco and hallucinogenic plants during secretive rituals open only to an elite few. Chavín leaders may have controlled access to these trippy experiences as a way to gain prestige and influence. “Taking psychoactives was not just about seeing visions. It was part of a tightly controlled ritual, likely reserved for a select few, reinforcing the social hierarchy,” Daniel Contreras, anthropological archaeologist at the University of Florida and co-author of the new study, said in a statement. Researchers already knew that intricate rituals were a big ... Read full article.