But the Sulawesi evidence shows that the practice predates the Austronesian expansion by tens of thousands of years.

The Ice Age forager who sucked areca nuts at Leang Bulu Bettue was not part of the Austronesian cultural tradition — they predated it by thousands of years.

The practice they engaged in was part of an earlier, pre-Austronesian tradition in the region.

This has implications for understanding the origins of betel nut use and its relationship to the Austronesian expansion.

Whether the Austronesian-spread tradition derived from, was inspired by, or developed independently of the much earlier practice documented at Sulawesi is a question that the current evidence cannot fully answer.