Researchers find 2,800-year-old cannabis seeds in Siberian tomb
Chemical traces in human hair suggest the plant was used for ritual intoxication during the Scythian period.
An international research team has discovered approximately 1,000 cannabis seeds and chemical traces in human hair within a 2,800-year-old princely tomb in the Republic of Tyva, southern Siberia. According to the Times of India, the findings suggest the Scythian-era people may have used the plant for its psychoactive effects during funerary rituals.
The tomb, known as Tunnug 1, dates to the early eighth century BCE and is linked to the Arzhan culture. Archaeologist Gino Caspari, leading a team from the University of Bern and the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, published the study in the journal Science.
Researchers used high-resolution mass spectrometry to analyse hair samples from the central burial chamber. They identified signals consistent with cannabinol and THC, which indicates the substances had circulated through the bodies of the deceased while they were alive.
The burial site included elaborate wooden chambers, bronze ornaments, and weapons. It also contained remains of 18 horses and dozens of other horse sacrifices, alongside scattered human bones, suggesting possible human sacrifices were part of the ceremony.
While the study confirms the use of cannabis as an intoxicant, researchers cannot determine the exact method of consumption or the potency of the plants. The seeds appear to resemble wild varieties rather than modern domesticated ones.
The team has started sequencing DNA from the plant remains to investigate if the cannabis was cultivated and how it spread. This work aims to clarify the cultural importance of the plant in ancient societies.