A team of Griffith University archaeologists has uncovered evidence that humans were using mind-altering substances much earlier than previously supposed.

Led by Professor Adam Brumm from Griffith's Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (ARCHE), and involving ARCHE colleagues Associate Professors Carney Matheson and Michelle Langley, the team combined biochemical and archaeological evidence to trace the prehistoric roots of one of the world's most popular addictive stimulants, "betel nut," an ancient drug used throughout much of the Asia-Pacific region.

The group's research, conducted in collaboration with Indonesian archaeologists from Makassar's University of Hasanuddin and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), shows that the use of betel nut as a drug emerged among some Indonesian communities up to 25,000 years ago, predating the previously suggested Neolithic or Bronze Age origins (about 3,500 years ago).