Conclusion
This article has attempted to reinterpret a now extinct prehistoric people, the Mochica of Peru, in light of our knowledge of contemporary regional hallucinogenic use. An analysis of Mochica pottery motifs suggests the use of a variety of plant hallucinogens which may have permitted access to supernatural realms. I have argued that studies such as this of prehistoric peoples show the central role that hallucinogenic plants have had throughout time and present a new path to the understanding of prehistoric religions.
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de Rios, M.D. Plant Hallucinogens and the religion of the Mochica—an ancient Peruvian people. Econ Bot 31, 189–203 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02866590
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02866590