Other plants with psychoactive properties — plants whose use might have left chemical traces in bones, teeth, or food residues at archaeological sites — have not all been systematically investigated for their deep prehistory.

The field of archaeochemistry, which applies chemical analysis to archaeological specimens to detect the traces of ancient organic compounds, is still developing its full toolkit.

The 25,000-year record for deliberate drug use will almost certainly be broken by future discoveries.

What those discoveries will be, and where they will be found, is genuinely unknown.

The Ending That Is Also A Beginning

Three molars and a jaw fragment, found in a limestone cave in South Sulawesi.