"Scientists have found traces of ancient opiates in the residue lining an Egyptian alabaster vase, indicating that opiate use was woven into the fabric of the culture. And the Egyptians didn't just indulge occasionally: according to a paper published in the Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology, opiate use may have been a fixture of daily life. In recent years, archaeologists have been applying the tools of pharmacology to excavated artifacts in collections around the world."
"For instance, in 2023, David Tanasi, of the University of South Florida, posted a preprint on his preliminary analysis of a ceremonial mug decorated with the head of Bes, a popular deity believed to confer protection on households, especially mothers and children. After collecting sample residues from the vessel, Tanasi applied various techniques-including proteomic and genetic analyses and synchrotron radiation-based Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy-to characterize the residues."
Residue analysis of Egyptian vessels revealed traces of opiates and other psychoactive substances, suggesting such compounds were integrated into daily and ritual life. Pharmacological techniques applied to archaeological artifacts have identified hallucinogens and sedatives used across many ancient cultures. Analysis of a Bes-decorated ceremonial mug detected Syrian rue alkaloids (harmine and harmaline), blue water lily sedative compounds, and a fermented alcoholic mixture containing yeasts, wheat, sesame seeds, fruit, honey, and possible human fluids such as breast milk, oral or vaginal mucus, and blood. Comparable findings link psychoactive brews to ceremonial and household practices in diverse societies.
Read at Ars Technica
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