The earliest evidence for the use of plants as drugs—possibly for medication or a pick-me-up—may have been found amid human remains in a 15,000-year-old cave burial in North Africa. According to a study published this month in Scientific Reports, researchers discovered berry-like seed cones from the shrub genus Ephedra in an ancient burial pit at the Grotte des Pigeons (Cave of Pigeons) in northeastern Morocco. Ephedra cones contain the substance ephedrine, a powerful stimulant that speeds up communication between the brain and body; and the researchers think they were consumed during the burial—suggesting the plant was widely used by the Stone Age people who lived nearby at the time.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 19, 2024 10:50 UTC