In this sense, the betel nut use documented in the teeth of Maros-LBB-1a is not an isolated individual behavior but a window onto a community’s relationship with its environment — a relationship that included this particular plant and this particular way of using it.

The Research Team And Their Collaboration

The Sulawesi study was a collaborative effort across institutions and countries, and the composition of the team reflects both the interdisciplinary demands of the research and the commitment to equitable collaboration that increasingly characterizes major archaeological projects.

Adam Brumm, the lead author, is based at Griffith University’s Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (ARCHE).

He has been conducting research in the Sulawesi karst for many years, contributing to the cave art dating work and the broader understanding of prehistoric human occupation in the region.