Mushrooms and Human Civilization

The history of human civilisation has always been closely intertwined with mushrooms, both in positive and negative ways. Mushrooms have been, and still are, regarded by many cultures not only as a source of food but also as a means of healing or gaining spiritual insights. However, mushrooms have also been used to eliminate rivals. The Roman Emperor Claudius II, Pope Clement VII, and the French King Charles VI were all poisoned by mushrooms (presumably death cap mushrooms).

The oldest records of human use of mushrooms date back more than 10,000 years. Rock paintings in the Tassili Caves in the Sahara depict, among other figures, a shaman holding a mushroom. Historians interpret this depiction as a reference to rituals conducted under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms. Similar shamanic rituals are also suggested by 6,000-year-old rock paintings in Selva Pascuala in northern Spain (see title image).

The glacier mummy Ötzi, found in the Ötztal Alps (c. 3200 BC), carried with him not only various garments and weapons but also tinder mushroom (Fomes fomentarius) and birch polypore (Piptoporus betulinus). Tinder mushrooms, as their name suggests, were used for storing embers to make fire with minimal effort. Additionally, they have blood-staunching properties. Birch polypores are a well-known natural remedy for stomach ailments.

Until the late Middle Ages, little progress was made in Europe in understanding the living conditions of mushrooms. While some species were named and described, the general consensus, which persisted into modern times, was that mushrooms “arose from the foul exhalations of the earth or from rotting substrates.” Mushrooms were known as “excrementa terrae” – naturally, consuming the earth’s excretions was not considered desirable.

The situation was different in China. In 1245 AD, Chen Yen-Yu published descriptions of the morphology, development, seasonal influences, cultivation methods, and preparation of 15 different mushrooms. More details on the history of cultivation can be found here.

In South and Central American cultures, such as the Aztecs and the Maya, (hallucinogenic) mushrooms were primarily used for spiritual rituals. The Mexican liberty cap (Psilocybe mexicana), known by its German name, was considered the “Flesh of the Gods.” The mushroom was often regarded as a direct connection to the deities.

In 1588, Giambattista Porta was the first to describe mushroom spores in his work Phytognomonica.

The first systematic description of all known mushrooms of the time was compiled by Elias Fries (1707–1788).