system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
Not in Europe. In Europe the only painkiller was alcohol which is why every European country has a problem with alcohol abuse to this day.
gpt
Salicylic acid (related to aspirin) is found in willows that are endemic to Europe.

They also had opium poppies in the south.

Our ancestors probably tried every plant along their migratory paths and found all kinds of medicinal effects.