Cocaine found in mummified brains suggests Europeans used it in early 1600s

Researchers have discovered that mummified brain tissues taken from two individuals buried in a 17 ^th century crypt in Italy have traces of cocaine.

Cocaine, which is derived from coca plants, was thought to have become commonly available in Europe only in the 19 ^th century – when the drug was derived using a chemical process from the plant.

However, this new revelation sheds new light on the use of the coca plant and the drug cocaine in Europe. It can open new pathways towards the exploration of how the drug was used, the way it became available, and how popular it was in Europe and around the world.

The new archaeotoxicology backdates the use of cocaine by almost two centuries in the European continent.

Europe and cocaine use – as is currently known

According to the paper published in the Journal of Archaeological Science , this is the first evidence of the coca plant (scientific name Erythroxylum spp.) being present in Europe in the 1600s.

The brain tissues were taken from the mummified remains of two individuals who were deceased patients of a hospital – the Ospedale Maggiore – which was located in the city of Milan. The hospital was known to have catered to the people hailing from the marginalized section of the society.

A church adjacent to the hospital had a place called the Ca’ Granda crypt – which served as the burial ground for the deceased patients from the hospital during the entire 17 ^th century, according to the records.

According to estimates, the crypt has almost 2.9 million bones, which belong to the over 10,000 individuals who had perished and were buried in it.

It is from these remains that a study was conducted to find out the toxicological habits of the people who lived in that era.

The brain tissues taken from the remains of the two individuals had active components of the coca plant, indicating that they were ingested by the individuals while they were alive.

It is also important to note that the medicinal practices employed by the healers at the hospital did not involve prescribing cocoa leaves or its extracts for medicinal use. This suggests that the plant had most likely been used recreationally by the individuals.

Coca plant origins

The coca plant is endemic to western South America where it has been cultivated and used for religious and cultural purposes since ages.

It was only when the Spanish invaded those parts of the world that they came in contact with and got to know about the plant, somewhere around the 15 ^th century.

Furthermore, the successful export of the plant to Europe seemed to be a difficult job to undertake, especially because of the transatlantic voyage and the deterioration which the plant would undergo during the trip.

According to the available information, this was carried out successfully only during the 19 ^th century, much later after the discovery of the plant and of its unique characteristics. Moreover, the active component of cocaine that may be reassociated to the use of Erythroxylum spp. has never been detected in archaeological human remains in Europe before the Contemporary era

Therefore, this discovery is of special significance as it can not only trace the use of coca and cocaine in Europe, but also shed light on how practices were adopted by one part of the world from another.