Humans were getting high on hallucinogenic drugs 3,000 years ago, scientists have found

Humans who lived 3,000 years ago were getting high on the ancient equivalent of hallucinogenic drugs, scientists have found.

According to a new study in which experts analysed strands of human hair from an ancient burial site in Menorca, Spain, strands which had been dyed red contained traces of psychoactive substances atropine, scopolamine and ephedrine.

These substances would have produced "strong and realistic hallucinations", and the scientists believe they came from various plants which were used in rituals.

The researchers said that the circles carved into the containers with the hallucinogenic-laden hair were supposed to represent eyes and could have been meant to depict the hallucinations users would go on when they took them.

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They also suggest that the drugs were used by shamans to conduct rituals, with the substances derived from the mandrake, henbane, thorn apple and joint pine plants.

So now you know - the war on drugs has been going on longer than you might expect, with ancient types dosing up on whacky substances.

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