The long view: Surveying the use of plant-based psychoactives in prehistoric societies

Elisa Guerra-Doce

Chapter 5 in Research Handbook on Drugs and Society, 2026, pp 48-59 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Psychoactive substances have been of central importance in the religious ceremonies and healing practices of indigenous societies over the centuries. In some cases, this ancestral knowledge can be traced back to prehistoric times. The aim of this chapter is to examine the origins of this long-lasting relationship between humans and natural drugs. It will thus provide a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge research on the use of drugs within prehistoric societies. It is argued that Archaeology can provide critical insights into the ongoing concern about the use/misuse of drugs by showing that Indigenous Peoples have managed to establish a less harmful relationship with drugs.

Keywords: Drug plants; Archaeology; Prehistory; Sacralisation; Cross-cultural research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781802209136
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.elgaronline.com/doi/10.4337/9781802209143.00012 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:elg:eechap:21367_5

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.e-elgar.com

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Chapters from Edward Elgar Publishing
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Jack Sweeney ().