What The Study Cannot Tell Us

The Sulawesi study is careful in what it claims, and the things it cannot tell us are worth noting explicitly.

It cannot tell us whether the betel nut use was ceremonial or secular.

The use of psychoactive substances in ceremonial contexts is documented in many cultures, and some researchers have argued that altered states of consciousness played important roles in early religious and ritual practice.

But the dental wear and chemical evidence alone cannot distinguish between use in a ceremonial context and use as an everyday habit.