The Frequency and Antiquity of Prehistoric Coca-Leaf-Chewing Practices in Northern Chile: Radioimmunoassay of a Cocaine Metabolite in Human-Mummy Hair

Abstract

Coca-leaf chewing results in absorption of part of its cocaine content. Following absorption, cocaine and/or its stable metabolic product benzoylecgonine (BZE) may enter the chewer's hair follicles and subsequently be incorporated into the hair shafts. This article reports that a recently developed radioimmunoassay is capable of detecting BZE in hair samples from ancient, spontaneously mummified human remains. Results are provided from tests on hair samples of 163 individuals, representatives of populations from seven different cultures living at coastal and low valley sites in northern Chile during the past 4,000 years. These indicate that coca-leaf-chewing practices began in this area about 2,000 years ago. The practice seems to have been common in several subsequent cultural groups. In one of these—Maitas Chiribaya—the majority of both adult men and women indulged in this practice. Coca-leaf-chewing women probably transferred BZE to their fetuses and nursing infants.

Archaeological, radiological, and biological evidence offer insight into Inca child sacrifice

“…The coca data are consistent with previously published bulk values for these children (4), but notably higher than previously published values for coastal pre-Columbian individuals (14,15). The Maiden's hair provides clear evidence that she had increased coca consumption, and the chronology correlates with changes in dietary isotopes at approximately death minus 12 mo.…”

El Innovativo Legado De Arthur Aufderheide a La Paleopatología

“…En esa misma línea de la "arqueometría", junto con Larry Cartmell y colaboradores (Cartmell et al 1991) exploraron innovativamente la posibilidad de aplicar estudios de radioimmuno assay a cabellos de momias, con miras a detectar presencia de metabolitos (benzoylecgonine) de las hojas de coca (Erythroxylum spp.). Consecuentemente, lograron documentar científicamente que la práctica de consumir hojas de coca dejaba su señal química en los cabellos de las momias prehispánicas del norte de Chile.…”

“…He also carried out isotope studies on the prehistoric bodies from Chinchorro-1, Camarones-8, and Camarones-17 (Aufderheide et al 1993). Later isotope studies of the Chinchorro and Alto Ramírez populations, this time in collaboration with Mario Rivera, also suggested an emphasis on marine foods (Aufderheide et al 1994) Tieszen and Chapman (1995) (Cartmell et al 1991) (Aufderheide et al 2004 (Ortner y Putschar 1981).…”

Mummies

“…Drug use has been amply described by analyses of hair from mummies (Cartmell et al, 1991;Parnigotto et al, 1993;Springfield et al, 1993;Aufderheide et al, 1994;Bá ez et al, 2000;Cartmell et al, 2003). The fact that cocaine and nicotine has been found in pre-Columban European (Balabanova et al, 1995) and Egyptian mummies Nerlich et al, 1995), has caused some debate (Balabanova et al, 1997;Brier, 1998), as these plants were supposed to be native to the Americas.…”

“…These substances have mainly been alkaloid drugs, such as traces of cocaine in Peruvian mummies due to the fact that individuals chewed coca-leaves (Cartmell et al, 1991;Springfield et al, 1993;Bá ez et al, 2000;Cartmell et al, 2003). Hair from mummies has also been used to detect alcohol consumption (Cartmell et al, 2003) and the stress hormone, cortisol (Nelson et al, 2007).…”