Production Matters

Abstract

Recent absorbed residue studies have confirmed that ceramic and shell containers were used for consuming Datura in precolumbian times. Until now, no one has identified what tools precolumbian people used to produce a concentrated hallucinogenic concoction. In this study, we used mass spectrometry to identify Datura residues (a flowering plant with hallucinogenic properties) in two late precolumbian composite bottles from the Central Arkansas River valley. Unlike the construction of most Mississippian bottles, the bottles in this study are unique because ceramic disks with a series of concentric perforations were incorporated in the bottles at the juncture of the bottle neck with the globular portion of the body. The organic residue analysis revealed Datura residues in both bottles. We argue that the internal clay disks served as strainers that allowed Datura producers to separate the hallucinogenic alkaloids from the Datura flower to produce a powerful liquid beverage.

Direct evidence of the use of multiple drugs in Bronze Age Menorca (Western Mediterranean) from human hair analysis

“…Given the mydriatic effect of the alkaloids detected in the hair samples, these circles may be interpreted as eyes , which somescholars have considered as a metaphor of inner vision, in some cases related to altered states of consciousness and visionary experiences under the influence of hallucinogens [142][143][144] . The recent discovery that two Late Pre-Columbian ceramic containers from the Central Arkansas River Valley which tested positive for atropine, were decorated with spiral motifs 145 supports this interpretation.…”

Understanding the Rise of Complexity at Cahokia: Evidence of Nonlocal Caddo Ceramic Specialists in the East St. Louis Precinct

“…These motifs are repeated around the vessel vertically and horizontally, making these vessels highly visible, no matter their orientation. Beakers were likely used either to produce or consume ritually charged liquid concoctions, like Datura and Black Drink (Crown et al 2012; Lambert et al 2022).…”