Archaeologists have discovered the first direct evidence of ancient Egyptians using hallucinogenic plants. Traces of psychedelic substances were found in a 2,200-year-old ceramic drinking vessel.
The vessel, which features the face of the Egyptian deity Bes, contained residues of blue water lily, Syrian rue, and plants from the Cleome genus – all known to have hallucinogenic properties.
The drink was likely a fermented, honey-sweetened concoction that may have also included human bodily fluids, suggesting it was used in ritual or spiritual practices associated with Bes.
Bes was a deity linked to music, merriment, and childbirth, sometimes seen as a “giver of dreams/oracles.” Archaeologists have unearthed over 380 Bes vessels, but never before found evidence of their contents.
The discovery provides the first scientific proof that ancient Egyptian myths and legends about altered states and rituals connected to Bes have some basis in reality. It sheds light on the mysterious practices that took place in the “Bes Chambers” near the Pyramids of Giza.
Researchers hope further analysis of other Bes vessels will reveal more about the extent and nature of hallucinogenic drug use in ancient Egyptian culture.
Source: ScienceAlert