Archaeologists Dig Up Hallucinogenic Vilca Seeds in Peru

Quite the opposite, actually. Magic mushrooms and magic truffles, along with other natural hallucinogens, have been enjoyed for thousands of years, and used in many circumstances — from in shamanic rituals to forays into battle. Indigenous tribes in the Amazon have long made brews from the ayahuasca vine to commune with spirits in times of crisis and celebration. The trippy lineage goes as far back as the Stone Age, when hunter-gatherer tribes lived in California caves and altered their consciousness with the Datura flower. Historians have pretty much confined the ye-olde psychedelic Golden Age to shrooms, ayahuasca, and rare flowers — and have yet to discover any other evidence of ancient psychedelic use. 

Until now…

Vilca Seeds in Molle Beer

In a facinating new study published in the Antiquity Journal, scientists have discovered 16 raw vilca seeds (also known as cebil) in Southern Peru. The seeds, known for their potent hallucinogenic powers, may have helped the pre-Incan Wari Empire to “hypnotise” their way towards peace. Their tripping method of choice? Crushing vilca seeds and spiking cups of beers with the drug during feasts. 

The hallucinogenic beer was served by Wari rulers during cosy dinner parties to promote friendship and trust. Possibly by doing so, the Wari Empire won the favour of South American tribes for about 400 years, circa 600 AD and 1000 AD. 

The Wari were not always powerful in the region due to being “late migrants” in the ninth century. So, in order to make friends with the natives, the Wari combined psychedelic vilca seeds from the Anadenanthera colubrina tree with the berry-like fruits of the molle tree (Schinus molle). The resulting party drink was a beer (or “chicha”) with around 5 percent alcohol in it. Not too woozy; just enough to warm you up in the chilly Peruvian evening…

Lead author Justin Jennings, who is also an archaeologist at the Royal Ontario Museum, said that vilca was an elite ingredient used only by the political and shamanic classes. He told Insider:

“Feasts for millennia were used to cement political control in the Andes. The Wari innovation was to make a special kind of beer that could be linked to Wari statecraft.

“One that depended not on the massive festivals that would be recorded later among the Inca but instead on [something] small…akin to a long, boozy, and likely quite a delightful dinner party.”

Vilca Trip: Like Ayahuasca, But Milder

So! What was it like to trip out on vilca seeds? According to the researchers, the psychedelic experience is a lot like the “signature” of ayahuasca, marked by a realistic out-of-body experience. The hallucinogenic trip is softened a lot when eaten whole. This is why ancient Peruvians preferred to smoke the seeds or grind them into powder. Taken on their own, however, vilca seeds are still too strong for chilling out with friends — hence adding the powder form into molle beer. 

Jennings further explained in an email to Insider:

“[Vilca] is a powerful drug when inhaled that quickly leads to blackout, vomiting, and visions. It’s not a social drug.”

What happens when vilca is added to molle beer, you ask? They say the psychedelic effects last longer, albeit in a milder state compared to its raw seed form. This makes for a much more pleasurable gathering under its influence. Perfect for loosening up guests — and hatching secret plans for the Empire!

“[Vilca in molle beer gave] a smoother, more enduring high… You know where you are and who you are with, but you also know you are not quite in the same place as when the event began.”

Hallucinatory Feast

The team of archaeologists was composed of experts from Peru, the U.S., and Canada. They discovered the raw, unground vilca seeds in an excavation at Quilcapampa, a Wari village in Southern Peru. Typical dig so far, yeah? What blew their minds, though, was the near-perfect state of the 1,100-year-old vilca seeds. A condition aided by the hot and dry climate in South America (aka no moisture to spoil the goods).

The scientists also found other well-preserved artefacts, such as peanuts, quinoa, potatoes, and molle — the berry-like fruits that greatly enhanced the trippy effects of vilca.

Said Jennings:

“What the Wari did was say, ‘We’re going to combine these…and when we put them together, we’re going to have this shared experience.’”

The dug-up vilca seeds were likely a luxury import from the southern coast. The Wari leaders used them for hallucinatory feasts they would host for their people. 

Alas, the trippy vilca-molle beer tradition did not catch on with the succeeding Incan Empire, which replaced the costly beverage with mass-produced beer instead.

“The Inca built off of other Wari innovations but chose a different path in regards to feasting, beer, and drugs.”

Secret Psychedelic Strategy

It was a long-standing mystery for historians. What about other Wari artefacts, such as drinking cups and jars with the vilca tree (and its seed pods) painted on them? Finally, here’s archaeological proof: vilca seeds were a symbol of political power, and psychedelic feasts served as the key.

Véronique Bélisle, an anthropological archaeologist at Millsaps College in Mississippi, was glad to see her theories about ancient Wari using vilca, confirmed. She told National Geographic:

“This research makes an important contribution to Andean archaeology by showing that Wari colonists organised feasts, during which they served chicha [beer] mixed with vilca to their guests.”

Vilca seeds were expensive and hard to find in the region. They had to be imported from the eastern sides of the Andes mountain and delivered to the Empire via llama caravans. This made sure that only the Wari leaders had access to vilca — and the only ones capable of hosting a fuego psychedelic-fueled party at the time. 

Talk about clout!

Power Tripping in Peru

The recent discovery of vilca seeds in Peru makes it clear that psychedelics played a crucial role in shaping empires. Who knew? By mixing powdered vilca into molle beers, ancient Wari leaders made sure that only they had the power to host the trippiest parties in all of South America. Vilca seeds built friendships, too — which helped to secure an empire for 400 years. Said Jennings:

“You were able to have a trip, an out-of-body experience to a degree, but it was a longer, smoother, and less violent experience. You were able to have that sense of going somewhere, of tripping out, but with friends.”

Nowadays, you can easily score your favourite psychedelic fix online from our webshop. A couple boxes of super potent magic truffles?  No problemo! The internet has made it possible for anyone to get trippy, not just emperors who can afford a llama caravan.