In a Siberian Bronze Age burial complex meant for elites, the earliest physical evidence of the use of cannabis for its psychoactive qualities was discovered. About 1,400 cannabis seeds miraculously remained preserved within the tomb. The seeds date back roughly 2,800 years. The structure belonged to the multi-talented badasses known as Scythians — tattooed nomads, equestrians, warriors, skilled metallurgists, and more.
While evidence of cannabis cultivation in East Asia tracing back 6,000 years had previously been found, until the materials from the Siberian site in question had been analyzed, scientists had only confirmed proof of its use as a drug going as far back as 2,500 years in China.
Research team leader Gino Caspari, from the Institute of Archaeological Sciences of
University of Bern, explained to CNN, “There is a lot of speculation about prehistoric use of plant-based drugs, but through this find we are actually able to show that there is a basis to it.”
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Drug tests done on plaited hair supported the theory of cannabis use, though the questions of how much cannabis entered the body and how it was consumed remain open. While the exact meaning that the mind-altering substance held for the ancient Scythians is somewhat uncertain, it doesn’t take a genius to conclude that it played a role in spiritual ceremonies around funerals. Caspari speculates that it also could have provided a means of sedating victims, as the burial site is home to horse sacrifices and what might be human sacrifices as well.
In The Histories Book 4, penned around 440 BC, the Greek historian Herodotus recorded the Scythians’ use of cannabis for purification and burial rituals. The Thracians upheld similar practices.
Caspari and his associates have been working at the Uyuk Valley tomb since 2017, and their efforts remain ongoing. Thus, more interesting facts may still come to light.
Of course, the discovery will be used by extollers of the merits of cannabis to try to sway public opinion and perhaps continue to affect legal change. Whether or not cannabis is more harmful than helpful clearly remains a hot topic. However, the risks associated with the beloved mind-bender are certainly important to consider. Psychiatry Online quoted one former user, “It’s the most deceptive drug I have ever taken.”
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