Prehistoric psychotropic consumption in Andean Chilean mummies

Hallucinogenic plants are often regarded as the main source of psychoactive drugs in antiquity to reach deep altered states of consciousness^1,2^. Many researchers believe this was particularly true during the Tiwanaku empire expansion, circa (500-1000 A.D.), along the Atacama Desert of Chile. Highly decorated snuffing tablets and tubes are often found as grave goods during this period^3,4,5,6,7,8^. Until now the type of drugs consumed in this paraphernalia has been unclear. From the modern city of Arica, naturally mummified human bodies with abundant hair provided a unique opportunity to test for hallucinogenic plants consumed in Andean prehistory. Analysis by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry demonstrated the presence of harmine. The Banisteriopsis vine, commonly called Ayahuasca, was the probable source. This is the first confirmed evidence of psychoactive plant consumption in pre-Hispanic Andean populations along the Atacama coastal region. Of the 32 mummy hair samples analyzed 3 males tested positive for harmine. This alkaloid aids in the catalysis and synergic effects of powerful hallucinogenic drugs. The consumption of harmine was likely related to medicinal practices and not exclusively ingested by shamans. Another important aspect of this evidence is that Banisteriopsis is an Amazon plant. It does not grow in the Atacama coastal region. Thus, our findings reveal extensive plant trade networks in antiquity between the coast, desert, highlands, and Amazon basin. The excellent preservation of human organic specimens, the use of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry allowed us to map and demonstrate the consumption of psychoactive compound plants in Andean prehistory. In addition, our findings open the door for future studies to debate the consumption and social role of ancient psychoactive and hallucinogenic plants

Arseniasis as an environmental hypothetical explanation for the origin of the oldest artificial mummification

This essay explores the idea that arsenic poisoning was the impetus for the origin of the oldest mummification practice in the world. The Chinchorro people artificially mummified fetuses and infants starting 7000 years ago, but we do not know why. The Chinchorro lived in an extremely toxic environment; the Camarones River had arsenic levels up to 1000µg/L, which is a hundred times the modern safety level. Chronic exposure to arsenic produces spontaneous abortions and preterm births. Interestingly, the earliest Chinchorro mummies are all infants. Under these environmental conditions, the Chinchorro miscarriage rate was likely 30 times higher than any other Andean population. Thus, arseniasis is a plausible environmental hypothesis to explain the origin of the Chinchorro's unique mortuary practice and infant mummification. In other words, Chinchorro mortuary practice began as a cultural response to an environmental phenomenon that was deadly to the populationEn este ensayo se postula que el origen de la momificación de los Chinchorro, la más antigua del mundo, fue provocado por un envenenamiento crónico con arsénico. Hace 7.000 años la gente Chinchorro comenzó a momificar intencionalmente a fetos e infantes y no sabemos por qué. Los Chinchorro vivían en un medio ambiente extremadamente tóxico con aguas de río que contienen niveles de arsénico de 1.000 µg/L, es decir, 100 veces más de los niveles recomendados para la salud. El arsenicismo produce abortos espontáneos y el nacimiento de niños prematuros y resulta interesante que las primeras momias Chinchorro son todos infantes. Entonces el arsenicismo trajo como consecuencia que las mujeres Chinchorro tuvieran tasas de abortos probablemente 30 veces más altas que cualquier población. Se postula entonces que arsenicismo es una posible hipótesis medioambiental que explicaría el origen de esta singular práctica de momificar a los muertos y porque comienzan a momificar a los infantes. Es decir, esta práctica de momificar a los muertos surgió como una respuesta cultural frente a un fenómeno medioambiental que diezmaba a la població

Origen de los Changos: Análisis de ADNmt antiguo sugiere descendencia de pescadores de la cultura Chinchorro (7.900 - 4.000 A.P.)

Lors de l’inauguration du boulevard de Sébastopol, le 5 avril 1858, Napoléon III s’adresse aux personnalités présentes en remerciant le Corps Législatif “abdiquant tout sentiment d’égoïsme de province” d’avoir permis que la France “ait une capitale digne d’elle”. Il poursuit en rapprochant le programme des grands travaux d’une amélioration de la société dans son ensemble : “Nous verrons ainsi chaque année de grandes artères s’ouvrir, des quartiers s’assainir, les loyers tendant à s’abaisser p..

Origins of changos. Mitochondrial DNA analysis suggests Chinchorro culture fishermen ancestry Origen de los changos. Análisis de ADNmt antiguo sugiere descendencia de pescadores de la cultura Chinchorro (7.900 - 4.000 A.P.)

Sophisticated molecular genetics techniques allow the typification and posterior comparison of antique haplogroups and mitochondrial DNA sequences from prehistoric groups with contemporary populations. This adds a chronological dimension to these studies and contributes to have a better knowledge of the genetic composition of the Chilean population. This articles gives scientific support, using molecular methodology, to the alleged biological links that joined the descendants of proto historic Chango fishermen from Paposo cove, a place located 15 kilometers north of Taltal, with prehistoric fishermen from Chinchorro culture, that developed in Northern Chile and Southern Peru between 7900 and 4000 A.C