Sonntag, 14. Oktober 2012
Ein Buch über Kratom
Bald wird es ein Buch über Kratom geben hier ein kleiner Vorgeschmack auf Englisch!
Introduction.
The history of kratom and it usage has be never been properly documented before. It has been always assumed that the leaves and other parts of the kratom tree or Mitragyna Speciosa were used for thousands of years, but till now there have never been a proper research to the history and background of kratom and its users. Even though there are hardly any written records about kratom, historical research along archeological, geographical, linguistic and even legal sources has led to an understanding that will shed a whole new light on kratom and the importance of the tree in past times.
The early times.
The Mitragyna Speciosa is botanically classified as a Rubiaceae, which is the largest family of woody plants across the tropical floras with some 13000 sub species. Carbon dating of fossil plant material has shown that the Rubiaceae family of trees has been around for some 100 Million years.
The current distribution of the Mitragyna and related species is the result of the last ice age and the effect it had on the Malay Archipelago in Southeast Asia where the tree grows natively at this time.
During the ice ages ocean waters condensed or became locked up in polar ice, the floor of the shallow South China Sea was exposed, allowing the crossover of humans and species from mainland Asia to the islands.
The climate cooled significantly enough to cause tropical rainforest to recede to scattered patches . Some areas formerly forested with tropical rainforest gave way to savannas and mountain forest ecosystems. When the ice ages came to an end, a warmer climate returned and the ocean rose again to flood the South China Sea. The small pockets of tropical rainforest that survived the ice ages served as biological reservoirs to repopulate the expanded tropical forest zone.
Due to these developments the Mitragyna Speciosa trees still occur on the Malay peninsula (Thailand, Malaysia) and in part of mainland Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, Myanmar) and in the Indonesia archipelago on Borneo (Kalimatan) Sumatra and Papua New Guinea, but they became extinct on the islands of Java, Bali and other Indonesian islands.
The early users.
The first reference to kratom in script can be found in the RigVeda, an ancient collection of secret Sanskrit hymns, dating back to around 1500 BC, but it is safe to assume that kratom was known to mankind since a much earlier date.
There are some clear indications that humans have been using psychoactive plants since their earliest existence, this most likely included the usage of kratom and related species.
The use of medicinal plants by animals or Zoopharmacognosy has been studied for several years and has shown that our primate ancestors already had the ability and habit to use various medical plants in case of, for example, inflammation, fever, worms as well as for pain relief . This ability to identify and use specific plants has evolved parallel to human development.
At a 60.000 years old Neatherdal burial side in the middle east, a selection of 8 medical plants were found, surrounding the deceased . It is a clear sign that our earliest ancestors were capable of learning and collecting very specific species of plants for medical usage. Similar nomadic foragers populated Asia as well, it is assumed that they were very capable to pass their knowledge and habits on to others.
Plants and substances that influence the central nerve system, like kratom, betel and other active plants, might originally have been part of the regular diet and used as food. Prehistoric dental records of coca leaves chewers for example, showed that coca was widely and frequently used in South America since early times . Plant remains excavated from the Thai Spirit Cave (Non Nok Tha) suggest that humans were actively collecting and stocking betel nuts (Areca catechu) in 7000BC. Betel are chewed in combination with lime and other ingredients for their stimulating effects, indicating that our ancestors were capable of developing various complex combinations and passing these on. The betel chewing habit was known throughout whole the pacific and Asia around 5000 to 3000 BC already.
Later when we discuss the linguistic sources for kratom, we will see that the that early inhabitants of the region has a proto-Austronesian name for the tree and similar looking species, Kedemba, which had spread in a large part of the Asian continent in earlier times. Also the medical applications as well as cultural believes related to kratom were very similar for the various regions. This widespread usage and similarities clearly shows that kratom was known to a large group of users in ancient times.
Evolutionary biological evidence further indicates that humans have been exposed to medical plant material throughout their evolution. The enzymes in the human body used to metabolize the bioactive plant material have developed in such a way that the modern human is more “fit” to enjoy the beneficial products of nature, compared to its primate animal colleagues.
A certain hepatic enzyme in the human body, the CYP2D6, involved in metabolizing for example kratom, is responsible for creating the effects caused by the kratom alkaloids. Within the various races of humans around the world there is however some variation in metabolizing capacity.
Particularly interesting is the relatively high percentages of active kratom metabolizers in Asia . It seems to prove that natural selection developed a human being, fit to use the plant material that was found around him. This natural selection further indicates that those populations who used medical plants, like kratom, had a higher survival rate during evolution.
Another sign that makes early kratom usage very likely is the presence of human settlements in the areas where kratom grows. The kratom tree is often found along river beds in the Asian lowlands, these places are easily accessible and offer clean fresh water and food sources, so most of the locations where kratom currently can be found were indeed used as settlements in early times.
For example in Indonesia's west-Kalimantan (Borneo) at Bukit Selindung, on a tributary of the sambas river, erosion of a sandy ridge exposed two bronze Dong Son drums, they contained various bronze and gold items . A bit further at Nanga Balang, interior lowland along the Kapuas river , neolithic polished stone artifacts and pottery were discovered dating back between 2800 and 1700 BP and nearby along the same river seven short Buddhist texts with relief figures dating back to 1450 to 1550 BP .
At Banjarmassin, South Kalimantan, the place where Korthals “discovered” his Mitragyna Speciosa, excavations showed that it had been used as a settlement since 3000BP.
Similar findings in the Thai and Malaysian regions establish the same picture, humans settlements were found very close to the kratom trees, already in ancient times.
Concluding, although there are no direct sources found to pinpoint a time of kratom usage, there are strong indications that show that early prehistoric usage of kratom is very likely, it is safe to assume that kratom had been used for over ten of thousands years back already. Besides this, kratom proximity to early developing civilization who were capable of traveling over long distances may have contributed to a wide spread usage in ancient times, as we will see in the next chapter.
Introduction.
The history of kratom and it usage has be never been properly documented before. It has been always assumed that the leaves and other parts of the kratom tree or Mitragyna Speciosa were used for thousands of years, but till now there have never been a proper research to the history and background of kratom and its users. Even though there are hardly any written records about kratom, historical research along archeological, geographical, linguistic and even legal sources has led to an understanding that will shed a whole new light on kratom and the importance of the tree in past times.
The early times.
The Mitragyna Speciosa is botanically classified as a Rubiaceae, which is the largest family of woody plants across the tropical floras with some 13000 sub species. Carbon dating of fossil plant material has shown that the Rubiaceae family of trees has been around for some 100 Million years.
The current distribution of the Mitragyna and related species is the result of the last ice age and the effect it had on the Malay Archipelago in Southeast Asia where the tree grows natively at this time.
During the ice ages ocean waters condensed or became locked up in polar ice, the floor of the shallow South China Sea was exposed, allowing the crossover of humans and species from mainland Asia to the islands.
The climate cooled significantly enough to cause tropical rainforest to recede to scattered patches . Some areas formerly forested with tropical rainforest gave way to savannas and mountain forest ecosystems. When the ice ages came to an end, a warmer climate returned and the ocean rose again to flood the South China Sea. The small pockets of tropical rainforest that survived the ice ages served as biological reservoirs to repopulate the expanded tropical forest zone.
Due to these developments the Mitragyna Speciosa trees still occur on the Malay peninsula (Thailand, Malaysia) and in part of mainland Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, Myanmar) and in the Indonesia archipelago on Borneo (Kalimatan) Sumatra and Papua New Guinea, but they became extinct on the islands of Java, Bali and other Indonesian islands.
The early users.
The first reference to kratom in script can be found in the RigVeda, an ancient collection of secret Sanskrit hymns, dating back to around 1500 BC, but it is safe to assume that kratom was known to mankind since a much earlier date.
There are some clear indications that humans have been using psychoactive plants since their earliest existence, this most likely included the usage of kratom and related species.
The use of medicinal plants by animals or Zoopharmacognosy has been studied for several years and has shown that our primate ancestors already had the ability and habit to use various medical plants in case of, for example, inflammation, fever, worms as well as for pain relief . This ability to identify and use specific plants has evolved parallel to human development.
At a 60.000 years old Neatherdal burial side in the middle east, a selection of 8 medical plants were found, surrounding the deceased . It is a clear sign that our earliest ancestors were capable of learning and collecting very specific species of plants for medical usage. Similar nomadic foragers populated Asia as well, it is assumed that they were very capable to pass their knowledge and habits on to others.
Plants and substances that influence the central nerve system, like kratom, betel and other active plants, might originally have been part of the regular diet and used as food. Prehistoric dental records of coca leaves chewers for example, showed that coca was widely and frequently used in South America since early times . Plant remains excavated from the Thai Spirit Cave (Non Nok Tha) suggest that humans were actively collecting and stocking betel nuts (Areca catechu) in 7000BC. Betel are chewed in combination with lime and other ingredients for their stimulating effects, indicating that our ancestors were capable of developing various complex combinations and passing these on. The betel chewing habit was known throughout whole the pacific and Asia around 5000 to 3000 BC already.
Later when we discuss the linguistic sources for kratom, we will see that the that early inhabitants of the region has a proto-Austronesian name for the tree and similar looking species, Kedemba, which had spread in a large part of the Asian continent in earlier times. Also the medical applications as well as cultural believes related to kratom were very similar for the various regions. This widespread usage and similarities clearly shows that kratom was known to a large group of users in ancient times.
Evolutionary biological evidence further indicates that humans have been exposed to medical plant material throughout their evolution. The enzymes in the human body used to metabolize the bioactive plant material have developed in such a way that the modern human is more “fit” to enjoy the beneficial products of nature, compared to its primate animal colleagues.
A certain hepatic enzyme in the human body, the CYP2D6, involved in metabolizing for example kratom, is responsible for creating the effects caused by the kratom alkaloids. Within the various races of humans around the world there is however some variation in metabolizing capacity.
Particularly interesting is the relatively high percentages of active kratom metabolizers in Asia . It seems to prove that natural selection developed a human being, fit to use the plant material that was found around him. This natural selection further indicates that those populations who used medical plants, like kratom, had a higher survival rate during evolution.
Another sign that makes early kratom usage very likely is the presence of human settlements in the areas where kratom grows. The kratom tree is often found along river beds in the Asian lowlands, these places are easily accessible and offer clean fresh water and food sources, so most of the locations where kratom currently can be found were indeed used as settlements in early times.
For example in Indonesia's west-Kalimantan (Borneo) at Bukit Selindung, on a tributary of the sambas river, erosion of a sandy ridge exposed two bronze Dong Son drums, they contained various bronze and gold items . A bit further at Nanga Balang, interior lowland along the Kapuas river , neolithic polished stone artifacts and pottery were discovered dating back between 2800 and 1700 BP and nearby along the same river seven short Buddhist texts with relief figures dating back to 1450 to 1550 BP .
At Banjarmassin, South Kalimantan, the place where Korthals “discovered” his Mitragyna Speciosa, excavations showed that it had been used as a settlement since 3000BP.
Similar findings in the Thai and Malaysian regions establish the same picture, humans settlements were found very close to the kratom trees, already in ancient times.
Concluding, although there are no direct sources found to pinpoint a time of kratom usage, there are strong indications that show that early prehistoric usage of kratom is very likely, it is safe to assume that kratom had been used for over ten of thousands years back already. Besides this, kratom proximity to early developing civilization who were capable of traveling over long distances may have contributed to a wide spread usage in ancient times, as we will see in the next chapter.
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