Antiquity and drugs in the Neolithic Age B

Neolithic Age

Period marked by settled agriculture and domestication of animals

Written Languages

System of communication using written symbols, emerged in the Neolithic Age

Animal Domestication

Process of taming animals for human use and benefit

Social Inequality

Unequal distribution of resources and opportunities among individuals or groups

Division of Labor

Assignment of different tasks and roles to members of society

Customs and Laws

Rules and regulations governing behavior and interactions within a society

Population Size

Number of individuals living in a particular area or community

Agricultural Means

Methods related to farming and cultivation of crops

Social Elite

Privileged group in society often characterized by wealth and power

Hierarchy

System of organizing individuals or groups in a ranked order

Bureaucrats

Officials in a government or organization responsible for administrative duties

Transition to the Neolithic

Shift in lifestyle and societal structures towards settled agriculture and complex societies

Environment and Population Pressure

Influences that drive changes in human behavior and societal organization

Rise of Alcohol

Emergence of alcoholic beverages as part of human consumption

Weed and Opium

Plants with psychoactive properties used for various purposes

Social Competition Model

Concept where resource abundance leads to engaging in high-risk activities for gain

Subsistence Strategy

Approach to obtaining food and resources necessary for survival

Foraging

Gathering food from plants and wild animals for sustenance

Pastoralism

Rearing and herding of animals for food and resources

Horticulture

Cultivation of plants for personal use and sustenance

Aquaculture

Farming of aquatic organisms for food and resources

Agriculture

Large scale production of food, not limited to just plants, for a large population

Immediate Return

Characteristic of hunter-gatherer societies where food is consumed immediately upon finding it

Delayed Return

Characteristic of agricultural societies where there is a delay between labor investment and consumption, leading to hierarchies and accumulation before consumption

Future Discounting

The concept of discounting potential nutritional payoffs in the future due to unforeseen events or changes in availability

Forager

Hunter gatherer. Low risk and high reward but bad technology

Farmer

Individuals involved in agriculture with good technology, specialization, and longer lifespan, but facing high risk, low reward, and nutritional disadvantages

Feasting

Important sociopolitical events involving large quantities of food and drink, serving purposes like passing on ideologies, social cohesion, and differentiation within groups

Weed

The first cultivated fiber plant, cannabis, with various uses and found in early human agricultural practices

Neolithic Revolution

Transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture, exemplified by the Sumer civilization in Mesopotamia, with advancements like the use of willow bark for medicinal purposes and beer as a form of payment

TAPPUTI-BELATEKALLIM

Noblewoman and perfumer mentioned in a Babylonian cuneiform from 3000 years ago

COSMETICS

One of the four main uses of perfume in ancient times

RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL RITUALS

One of the four main uses of perfume in ancient times

MAGIC

One of the four main uses of perfume in ancient times

MEDICINE

One of the four main uses of perfume in ancient times

ESSENTIAL OIL

Used to treat infections, prepared by perfumers who acted like early pharmacists

PHOENICIA

Ancient civilization along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea known for seafaring and trade

TYRIAN

Purple dye made and used in royalty robes, giving Phoenicia its cultural name

Birthplace of the Alphabet

Phoenicia, where the alphabet was developed, forming the basis for many western languages

DENTISTRY

Practice that originated in Phoenicia using ivory for fake teeth and gold wires, without pain relievers

AGARI

Shamans associated with Scythian nomads known for expertise in antidotes and poisons

VIPERIDS

Experts in using tiny amounts of viper venom to slow hemorrhage from arrow wounds

PONTIC HONEY

Wild honey from bees that feed on rhododendrons and oleander, containing deadly neurotoxins for mammals

PONTIC DUCKS

Poisonous ducks from the Black Sea that feed on baneful plants

PONTIC BEAVERS

Testicles used for treating fever, immunity, improving sex drive, and perfume, containing salicylic acid

CASTOREUM

Beaver musk gland containing salicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin

Otzi the Iceman

Mummy preserved in the Otzal Valley alps, providing insights into health when alive

Demographic data of Otzi

Age between 42-45, height 5'2", weight 110 lbs, with tattoos serving therapeutic purposes

Healing herbs from history

Include oregano, cumin, garlic, ginger, red pepper, black pepper, rosemary, basil, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, saffron, turmeric, mint, and mustard

Ancient Drug Routes

Include external application, fumigation, oral ingestion, and rectal administration