, Indirect evidence, such as the discovery of opium alkaloids in Bronze Age containers, the discovery of drug plant remains in ritualistic contexts, and the depiction of drug plants in art, has previously been used to support the existence of prehistoric drug use in Europe.
According to earlier studies, this chamber interred approximately 210 people. Only some people had their hair colored red, put in concentric circle-decorated wooden and horn containers, and sent to a different, sealed chamber further back in the cave. These hair fibers were created about 3,000 years ago.To determine if the alkaloids atropine, scopolamine, and ephedrine were present, the scientists used Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography and High-Resolution Mass Spectroscopy.
, and altered sensory perception. Ephedrine, a stimulant that can boost excitement, alertness, and physical activity, is extracted from specific shrub and pine species. In three replicated hair samples, the authors found scopolamine, ephedrine, and atropine. The authors hypothesize that ingestion of nightshade plants like mandrake , henbane , or thorn apple , as well as joint pine, may have contributed to the existence of these alkaloids . According to the authors, a shaman might have employed these psychotropic plants in ceremonial rituals.
The wooden containers' concentric circles, which might have represented eyeballs or been a metaphor for the inner vision associated with a drug-induced altered state of consciousness, may have represented. The authors assume that the wooden vessels were sealed in the cave chamber to preserve these ancient customs due to cultural shifts around 2,800 years ago.