Ancient stone carving of a figure holding a staff with geometric and symbolic patterns.

Image 2. Smiling God. Huachuma San Pedro Bearing Stele

3. Primary sources

Archeological evidence trough CO14 analysis of pollen, seeds and organic remains, ceramic vessels, stone steles, iconography, ritual paraphernalia. “The most famous iconographic find, the so-called ‘San Pedro bearing stele,’ in Chavín de Huantar, has been dated to 750 BC.” (Samorini 2019: 74)

 

 

4.-Introduction

The ancient evidence from indigenous use in the Americas come from Perú through the analysis of material remains mainly pollen, but also seeds or organic remains.The archeological record has shown a human relationship with Wachuma, including both T. pachanoi and T. peruvianus, which is at least 10,000 years old, a fact that, for now, makes San Pedro the most ancient psychoactive from an American source.

 

 

5.- Interpretation

This stele depict an anthropomorphically figure holding with its right hand a cacti, which resembles the shape of Wachuma (T. pachanoi), in a bi-dimensional plane, looking to the right. The character probable represents a priest or ritual specialists, or a supernatural entity. It wears a headdress of two intertwined serpents. The serpents´s heads are looking and close to the cacti and their bodies are intertwined in a trense through the head and finally the snake tails/rattles falling down through the neck. The face has feline fangs and nose, perhaps a jaguar or a puma, as it occurs in other Indigenous traditions in Mesoamerica (Olmecs) and the Andes (San Agustín). The size of the eye -shaped as a half moon- has an unusual big size, perhaps related with the visionary properties of the cacti. Feline claws are visible and prominment on both “hands”. In his back is possible tom see a geometrical figure, with a glyph that resembles a face. Finally is possible to see a belt, with a shape of a bicephalus serpent.

 

6.-Implications

Wachuma represents the ancient entheogen with psychedelic properties used in the Americas-according to current archeological evidence-. Mescaline is the alkaloid with psychedelic properties. There are ritual paraphernalia and ceramics which deserves further research, however is possible to recognize different cultural uses (sacramental, medical and artistic/creative, which still prevails nowadays. Wachuma is a key element for traditional medicine, but also has a symbolic and spiritual meaning. The symbolic complex serpent-anthropomorphic felinized “god”-wachuma deserves further study.

 

References:

Jay, M. (2019). Mescaline a Global History of the First Psychedelic (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2019), pp. 13-50.

 Lynch, F. T. (1980). Guitarrero cave. Early man in the Andes. New York, NY: Academic Press, p.293-319.

 Samorini, Giorgio. (2019). “The Oldest Archeological Data Evidencing the Relationship of Homo Sapiens with Psychoactive Plants: A Worldwide Overview.” Journal of Psychedelic Studies 3 (2): 63–80. https://doi.org/10.1556/2054.2019.008.

Tall cactus with white flowers blooming against a partly cloudy blue sky.
Group of tall, green cacti surrounded by leaves in a natural setting.
Black and white photograph of a wooden fence and a dirt road with a forested area in the background.

San Pedro

Anthrphomorfic Felinized God. San Pedro Stele Perú. Chavín Culture.

1.-Name

Wachuma, San Pedro (Trichicherus pachanoi)

 

2.-Geography and context.

The ancient evidence from indigenous use in the Americas come from Perú through the analysis of material remains mainly pollen, but also seeds or organic remains.The archeological record has shown a human relationship with Wachuma, including both T. pachanoi and T. peruvianus, which is at least 10,000 years old, a fact that, for now, makes San Pedro the most ancient psychoactive from an American source.

 Regarding material remains, the oldest find was located in the Cueva del Guitarrero, in the Peruvian department of Ancash. In this cave, inhabited continuously since 8600 BC, a high concentration of pollen of T. peruvianus has been detected from the oldest phase of human occupation, as well as some fragments of cacti, which would testify the intentional introduction of this plant inside the cave.” (Lynch1980: 101).

Herbarium sheet with plant specimens, one dry leaf with pins, and roots. Labels indicate collection details, including species "Tripaecoccus pachycepis" and location in New York Botanical Garden, South America. Color calibration chart, scale ruler, and black-and-white photograph of a river with rock formations in the background are also present.

Image 1. Harvard Herbarium Map