Psychoactive Drugs in European Prehistory

Abstract

The relationship between humans and mind-altering substances can be traced back over millennia. However, as many of them presently fall under the category of illicit or illegal “drug” products, there is a tendency to view use of these substances as largely a modern phenomenon. Archaeological evidence shows that the need and desire to temporarily alter states of consciousness through the use of drug plants, fungi, and many kinds of fermented beverages goes back to prehistoric times, in multiple regions of the world, and across most cultures. This chapter explores the deepest origins of these practices in Europe, where growing archaeological research demonstrates that psychoactive substances were already long in use, prior to the well-known cultural influence of wine in ancient Greece and Rome and the probable use of drug plants in ancient religious rituals such as the Eleusinian mysteries.