A scientific study confirms the psychoactive consumption of cannabis in Siberia 2,800 years ago
“A tomb in Siberia reveals ritual cannabis use two millennia ago”
Forensic Headline Assessment: The original headline is adequate and accurate; the sanitized version further emphasizes the scientific nature of the discovery and its exact temporality.
An international team of researchers has analyzed human hair remains and seeds from a 2,800-year-old tomb in Siberia. The chemical analysis published in the journal Science confirms the oldest evidence of psychoactive cannabis use in funerary contexts.
The research, led by scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Bern, examined samples from the monumental site Tunnug 1, located in the Uyuk Valley in southern Siberia.
More than 1,400 wild-origin cannabis seeds along with human hair samples were recovered at the site. Laboratory tests revealed the presence of cannabinol, a derivative of THC oxidation, demonstrating its use for psychoactive and cultural purposes in the early 8th century BC.
The authors note that these data expand the understanding of how Eurasian societies experimented with botanical properties in antiquity, coinciding with previous historical accounts of ritual practices in the region.
- Researchers from the Max Planck Institute and the University of Bern analyzed human remains from Siberia.
- The Tunnug 1 burial site dates back 2,800 years (8th century BC).
- Cannabinol was detected in human hair samples, evidencing psychoactive consumption.
- More than 1,400 cannabis seeds of wild characteristics were found at the site.
Corroborates: A tomb in Siberia reveals ritual cannabis use two millennia ago