What kind of hallucinogenic snuff was used at Chavín de Huántar? An iconographic identification
Ñawpa Pacha December 1, 2011 Richard L. Burger 35 citations
Iconography and artifacts from Chavín de Huántar show that psychoactive substances were consumed nasally as snuff, indicating hallucinogens beyond San Pedro cactus were used. San Pedro, a mescaline-rich cactus, is consumed as a liquid, not snuff. This article presents iconographic evidence from a Chavín de Huántar sculpture confirming the religious significance of Anadenanthera sp. (vilca), a plant containing the vision-producing alkaloid bufotenine. Botanists identify Anadenanthera colubrina var. Cebil east of the Peruvian Andes as the most likely source of the psychoactive snuff used in rituals at Chavín de Huántar and related centers like Kuntur Wasi. Implications for religious rituals and long-distance exchange are considered.