#Biomolecularscience

A groundbreaking excavation at Nong Ratchawat in western Thailand reveals the world’s oldest confirmed betel nut chewing evidence, dating back 4,000 years to the Bronze Age. Researchers from a leading Thai university used advanced biomolecular analysis to detect arecoline traces in dental plaque from ancient skeletons, establishing betel nut use as a core element of Thai cultural identity across millennia. The study, published in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology, connects today’s Thai traditions with ancestral practices and highlights the continuity of Southeast Asian cultural behavior.