
Inside 3,000-year-old ‘drug den' where humans used BONES to take hallucinogens in ‘terrifying' mystery ritual of visions
There may be a very surprising reason for the bizarre ritual
GAME OF BONES Inside 3,000-year-old 'drug den' where humans used BONES to take hallucinogens in 'terrifying' mystery ritual of visions
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
A MYSTERIOUS ancient society was using hollowed-out bones to take drugs inside an "exclusive" psychedelics chamber.
The long-abandoned drug den was where ancient Andeans would consume hallucinogens as part of strange "vision-seeing" rituals.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
8
Ancient chambers that could only hold a few people at a time were used for consuming hallucinogens
Credit: Rick et al., PNAS, 2025
8
The chambers were an exclusive space where "terrifying" drug-fuelled vision-seeing rituals were held
Credit: Daniel Contreras
8
Ancient Andeans would use carved hollowed-out bone tools to take drugs
Credit: Daniel Contreras
This "Chavín" society lived in the Andes two thousand years before the Inca empire.
And scientists say these lesser-known people "access to altered states of consciousness" by taking psychedelics.
Scientists say the drug-consuming bone tools are the earliest evidence of the use of "psychoactive plants" in the Peruvian Andes.
The hollow bones were turned into ancient snuff tubes, and were found in stone chambers inside a prehistoric ritual site.
It's called Chavín de Huántar, a ceremonial site high up in the mountains of Peru, at an elevation of around 10,000 feet.
They would conduct "exclusive rituals" inside private chambers that could only hold a few people at a time.
Researchers say this would've created an "air of mystique and control".
"Taking psychoactives was not just about seeing visions," said archaeologist Daniel Contreras, who worked on the discovery.
"It was part of a tightly controlled ritual, likely reserved for a select few, reinforcing the social hierarchy."
These chambers were contained inside massive stone structures at the site – and were built around 3,000 years ago, before being sealed 500 years later.
'Once in a century' Pompeii discovery as ancient luxury SPA is saved from ashes with thermal baths & stunning mosaic
And they would've had "profound, even terrifying" experiences after taking the drugs.
"To those who inhaled, the supernatural might have felt like a force beyond comprehension," the University of Florida explained.
"And that was precisely the point.
"By controlling access to these altered states, Chavín's rulers established a potent ideology.
8
The chambers were tucked inside monument stone structures at Chavín de Huántar
Credit: Daniel Contreras
8
The purpose of Chavín de Huántar and its rituals have long been a mystery
Credit: Daniel Contreras
8
The Chavín de Huántar archaeological site sits at an elevation of 10,000 feet
Credit: Daniel Contreras
"And convinced their people that their leadership was intertwined with mystical power and part of the natural order."
Evidence of nicotine from wild relatives of tobacco was found, as well as vilca bean residue, which is a hallucinogen related to DMT.
Researchers believed that the rituals were used to reinforce the authority of leaders and create a class structure.
'The supernatural world isn't necessarily friendly, but it's powerful,' Contreras, of the University of Florida, explained.
Picture Credit:
"These rituals, often enhanced by psychoactives, were compelling, transformative experiences that reinforced belief systems and social structures."
Trumpets made from conch shells were also found at the site.
And researchers think that the chambers were designed to "enhance" musical performances using these trumpets.
"One of the ways that inequality was justified or naturalized was through ideology," Contreras said.
8
The Chavín people long predate the Incan Empire
Credit: Wikipedia
8
Traces of drugs were found on the bone tools used by these ancient people
Credit: Rick et al., PNAS, 2025
"Through the creation of impressive ceremonial experiences that made people believe this whole project was a good idea."
Contreras added: "It's exciting that ongoing excavations can be combined with cutting-edge archaeological science techniques to get us closer to understanding what it was like to live at this site."
This research was published in the journal PNAS.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
New ‘poo pills' could flush out killer bugs that kill one million Brits each year
Find out how superbugs develop and spread below POO KNEW? New 'poo pills' could flush out killer bugs that kill one million Brits each year Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SUPERBUGS, or drug-resistant infections, are projected to cause more than 39 million deaths between now and 2050. This means that, on average, over three people are expected to die from antibiotic-resistant infections every minute. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Scientists focused on the gut to kill superbug infections Credit: Getty But now UK doctor are attempting to clear the number of dangerous superbug infections by using pills containing freeze-dried faeces. The "poo pills" contain stool samples from health donors, packed with good bacteria. And the idea comes from previous data that suggests superbugs can be flushed out of the bowel and replaced with a mix of healthy gut bacteria. Dr Blair Merrick, who has been testing the pills at St Guys and Thomas' hospitals, said the focus is on the bowels which are "the biggest reservoir of antibiotic resistance in humans". The bowel is considered a significant reservoir for these resistant bacteria, and from there they can cause trouble in places such as the urinary tract or bloodstream. Dr Merrick added: "So there's a lot in 'can you get rid of them from the gut?" Currently, people with recurrent illness caused by hard-to-treat bacterium Clostridium difficile can be offered faecal transplants. Scientists noticed they also had the potential to get rid of superbugs. In a new study, published in the Journal of Infection, researchers focused on 41 patients who had an infection caused by drug-resistant bacteria in the past six months. They were given pills made from faeces which people had donated to a stool bank. What is Klebsiella pneumonia? Each stool sample was tested to ensure it didn't contain and harmful bugs. Undigested food was removed, and then it was freeze dried into a powder. The powder, contained inside a pill, can then pass through the stomach unharmed and reach the intestines, where it then dissolves. Twenty of the participants were given three sets of capsules on three consecutive days, while the rest received placebo pills. For those who took the capsules , the donor bacteria was detectable in their gut flora a month later. Dr Merrick told the BBC: "It's very exciting. There's a real shift from 20 years ago, where all bacteria and viruses were assumed to do you harm; to now where we realise they are completely necessary to our overall health." To help avoid getting superbugs, the NHS recommends practising good hygiene - wash your hands frequently with soap and water, especially before eating, after using the toilet, and after coughing or sneezing. Use antibiotics responsibly - avoid taking antibiotics for viral infections like colds or the flu, as they won't work. Even if you feel better, finish all of your prescribed medication to ensure the infection is fully treated. And don't share antibiotics - sharing can be harmful and can lead to resistance. Also, take preventative measures when travelling - choose food from reliable sources, and ensure food is properly cooked and handled, avoid drinking water that may be contaminated, and make sure you are up-to-date on all recommended vaccinations before travelling.


Scottish Sun
16 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Common food item could lower your risk of heart disease & type 2 diabetes, boffins claim
The study found that the product boosts 'good' cholesterol CHANGE OF HEART Common food item could lower your risk of heart disease & type 2 diabetes, boffins claim Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BUTTER could actually reduce your risk of heart disease, scientists say. Having a teaspoonful a day was found to cut the risk of getting type 2 diabetes by a third. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Butter could actually reduce your risk of heart disease, scientists say Credit: Getty The study, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that butter boosts 'good' cholesterol - which helps to remove harmful fats known to cause heart attacks and strokes. Scientists from Boston University tracked 2,500 men and women over the age of 30 over decades, noting what they ate and how many went on to develop heart disease. Those who ate five grammes of butter a day or more were 31 per cent less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes - usually caused by poor diet and lifestyle - than those eating little or no butter. Margarines - often promoted as 'healthy' alternatives for butter - increased the risk of diabetes by more than 40 per cent and heart problems by 30 per cent. Researchers put it down to the unhealthy 'trans fats' used in margarines from the 1970s onwards - now largely ditched by spread manufacturers. Eating a portion of beans a day could also slash your risk of deadly heart attack or stroke, new research shows. Beans - whether they're dried, canned or frozen - can boost heart and metabolic health, according to scientists. Daily portions of chickpeas and black beans could serve as a "simple, cost-effective" way to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, they said. The new study links chickpeas to improved cholesterol levels, which blacks beans seemed to reduce inflammation.


Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Rancid-smelling super ants that form whopping colonies & even eat CABLES rampaging across Europe – & could infest the UK
One supercolony nest in Switzerland is the size of 35 football pitches BUG OFF Rancid-smelling super ants that form whopping colonies & even eat CABLES rampaging across Europe – & could infest the UK Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A STINKING species of super-ant is storming through Europe on a path to the UK. The millions-strong mega-colonies have wiped out power supplies and even roads as they overwhelm the ground beneath entire towns. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Tapinoma magnum ants have been moving north through Europe Credit: Getty 9 They can chomp through electric cables, cutting out power supplies Credit: TFI 9 The species, called Tapinoma magnum, hails from the Med and North Africa - but has been pushing up through the continent. They spread rapidly and establish supercolonies of up to 20million across 60 acres which are "virtually impossible" to eradicate. There were so many ants, you couldn't see the floor anymore Agnes Wirth And anyone who dares squash a T. magnum is greeted by the stench of rancid butter. The invaders hit headlines in Sweden this week as officials in regions around the capital Zurich attempt to oust the pests. read more in world news POOL POSITION Tourists wear sprint shoes & STRETCH before dawn dash for Magaluf pool spot The ants have also taken root in France - but Germany has suffered the most. In Germany, the sleepy south-western town of Kehl has been swamped. Locals reported watching the town's pavements and curbs sinking as the earth was carted away by the bugs, causing havoc with the roads. And a playground was forced to close after ants took over the entire area and turned it into a nest. City workers had to jet hot water into the labyrinth to wash them out. The wider state of Baden-Württemberg has suffered power cuts and internet outages after the insects chomped through electric cables. Watch incredible vid of ants OUTSMARTING humans to solve puzzle first T. magnum's destructive power comes from the sheer scale of their underground warrens and their tireless determination to expand. While most ant species organise a few thousand workers around a single queen, T. magum clans contain up to 20million and hundreds of queens. Instead of attacking one another, the smaller colonies merge together in alliance. The British Pest Control Association told The Sun that the UK is at risk from the advancing crusade. Individual efforts by homeowners and gardeners can't control an infestation Niall Gallagher They explained the ants "spread mainly through horticultural imports, especially potted plants and trees from the Mediterranean". They added: "If T. magnum were to establish here, it could become a nuisance. "They form vast supercolonies, displace native species and can even cause structural issues by excavating under paving." Although the species has not marched into the UK yet, a spokesperson for Defra said the agency "remains vigilant" to the threat. The countryside around Zurich has been tormented by the ants since 2018. 9 A city worker in Kehl, Germany, treats a playground overwhelmed by a T. magnum nest Credit: Alamy 9 Power outages in Germany have been blamed on the bugs Credit: Facebook / Lutte contre la Fourmi Tapinoma Magnum - Région Corse 9 The ants can form supercolonies with hundreds of queens and millions of workers Credit: Alamy Despite an almighty effort to clear them out, the ants remain "well established" in four areas. In Winterthur, they blocked a billion-pound construction project when they settled exactly where a multi-track railroad tunnel was planned. In the nearby Oetwil an der Limmat region, one supercolony infested an entire five-hectare potato field - about seven football pitches. A local, Agnes Wirth, told Swiss site SRF: "There were so many ants, you couldn't see the floor anymore." But that is dwarfed by the colony in Volketswil, on the other side of Zurich, where an area the size of 35 football pitches is teeming with the busy-body bugs. The infestation is so enormous that the local authority has been legally forced to act. Katharina Weber of the Zurich Department of Construction said: "In areas with large infestations, a coordinated approach by specialists is required. 9 They displace the earth beneath tarmac - causing roads and pavements to sink Credit: Alamy 9 A power box overwhelmed by the ants Credit: TFI 9 The ants are small and look similar to the black garden ant in the UK Credit: Alamy "This means a plan is needed, and special pest controllers must be deployed. These can target the insecticide at the nests." In the UK, DEFRA recommends that anyone who sees a non-native insect species takes a photo and reports it. Mike Fox, record manager for the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society, said: "As far as I know, there are no records of Tapinoma magnum becoming established in the UK but of course it could possible in the future." Niall Gallagher, the Technical Manager at British Pest Control Association, said they closely monitor pest species - including Tapinoma magnum. He told The Sun: "Research on Tapinoma magnum supercolonies in Switzerland has found that these ants live outdoors and can continue to forage at temperatures as low as 6 degrees during the winter months. 'Individual efforts by homeowners and gardeners are not sufficient to effectively control an infestation, and specifically tailored pest control solutions are needed to eradicate a colony." He recommend that anyone concerned about an ant infestation contacts a professional pest controller for help.