New research is revealing how hallucinogens became one of the most powerful tools of Peru‘s ancient Chavín culture, helping to maintain order in their hierarchical society in the Andean highlands of pre-Columbian America.
The Chavín rose to prominence two thousand years before the more well-known Inca empire, developing agriculture, crafts, and trade throughout the region. Now, new research by an international collaboration between multiple South American Institutions, the University of Florida, and Stanford University, is uncovering direct evidence for psychoactive plant use at the prehistoric ceremonial site Chavín de Huántar in the Peruvian Andes.
Chavín de Huántar
Among the towering stone remains of the ancient ceremonial site Chavín de Huántar, archaeologists recently discovered 23 ceremonial objects directly linked to psychoactive use, including snuff tubes carved from hollow bone. Researchers analyzed these tubes using chemical and microscopic techniques to identify the substances prehistoric humans once consumed at the site. The results revealed residues of wild tobacco relatives, which provided nicotine, and villa bean, which supplied a DMT-related hallucinogen believed to grant leaders personal visions.
These personal visions, concentrated among the elites, make the rituals at Chavín unique. By contrast, other ancient cultures more commonly engaged in communal hallucinogenic experiences. The bone tubes were found in private chambers within the ceremonial complex, spaces only large enough to accommodate a few individuals at a time. Archaeologists interpret these findings as evidence of mystique and control, concentrated among the few who were granted access to these visionary experiences.
“Taking psychoactives was not just about seeing visions. It was part of a tightly controlled ritual, likely reserved for a select few, reinforcing the social hierarchy,” said co-author Daniel Contreras, Ph.D., an anthropological archaeologist at the University of Florida.
Psychoactive Terror
Consuming these hallucinogens would have induced seemingly supernatural experiences, ranging from the profound to the terrifying. Access to what appeared to be immense powers beyond human reasoning was limited to the elite few. By restricting communion with the beyond to Chavín’s leadership, they reinforced their authority, presenting it as ordained by mystical forces.
“The supernatural world isn’t necessarily friendly, but it’s powerful,” Contreras said. “These rituals, often enhanced by psychoactives, were compelling, transformative experiences that reinforced belief systems and social structures.”
Forging Social Classes with Hallucinogens
For over a century, various archaeologists have excavated Chavín de Huántar, located 10,000 feet up in the Peruvian Andes, as they continue to probe its mysteries. After thirty years of studying the structure, a team led by Stanford’s John Rick, Ph.D., alongside Contreras, developed interpretations of how supernatural experiences and monument building became intertwined. This coincided with the emergence of class divisions in Chavín’s society—a contrast to the more egalitarian societies that came before.
Archaeologists suggest that these rituals inspired the builders to invest in the massive construction project at Chavín de Huántar, rather than relying on forced labor. The cultural significance of these experiences is still preserved in the site’s wall art, which depicts both the psychoactive plants and the visions of those who consumed them. Beyond these hallucinogenic experiences, evidence of emotional musical rituals is found in the remains of conch shell trumpets and the acoustically designed chambers within the structure.
“One of the ways that inequality was justified or naturalized was through ideology — through the creation of impressive ceremonial experiences that made people believe this whole project was a good idea,” Contreras said.
“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,” Contreras concluded.
The paper “Pre-Hispanic Ritual Use of Psychoactive Plants at Chavín de Huántar, Peru” appeared on April 22, 2025 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf.