An intoxicant is a mind-altering substance that is mainly derived from plants, and it is toxic. A nearly universal human trait is the use of intoxicants to experience altered states of consciousness (ASCs) for religious and recreational purposes, cognitive enhancement, strengthening group identity, reproductive success, and food. They have been widely used all over the world for thousands of years in virtually every culture.
While studies of intoxicant use in other parts of the world are fairly common, it has not been extensively studied in North America. This volume focuses on intoxicant use by Native Americans north of Mexico from the earliest Native settlement to the present. It is the first comprehensive study of ASCs use in the region. The author, Sean Rafferty, is an archaeologist at the University of Albany.
This survey begins with an interesting overview of the use of intoxicants in rituals, medicine, and recreation. The presence of intoxicants in the archaeological record is difficult to find—botanical remains do not preserve well, and few scholars have looked for them. This may be changing as improved trace element analysis is showing great promise in detecting chemical residues in vessels and other artifacts.
The core of this book focuses on four classes of intoxicants: hallucinogens, stimulants, alcohol, and tobacco. Every aspect of these chemicals is examined from their natural occurrence and properties through their use by different societies over time. Hallucinogens include red “mescal” beans (no relation to mescal liquor), peyote, datura or jimson weed, psilocybin, and amanita species. These are most often associated with religion and rituals, like shamanism. Rock art is thought by many archaeologists to be inspired by hallucinogens, and Rafferty includes a chapter examining this topic. Interestingly, current evidence of alcohol use is limited to the more recent Southwest.
In a society obsessed by the use of intoxicants, this is a timely study of practices commonly occurring since humans first arrived in North America. Rafferty rightly argues that intoxicant use is a glaring omission in the study of prehistoric societies. New interest and better scientific techniques can close this gap. This is a fascinating study of a long neglected topic that will interest a large body of scholars and readers.
