Ancient Tomb Finds Confirm Humans Were High 2,800 Years Ago

A new study published in *Science* confirms that humans have been getting high for at least 2,800 years. The timeline was pinned down by a team from the University of Bern, who dug up cannabis seeds inside a Siberian tomb. These weren't just any graves. They belonged to high-ranking members of the Scythian society, a horse-riding culture that dominated the Eurasian steppe.

Radiocarbon dating places the seeds in the early eighth century BC. But seeds alone don't tell the whole story. Perishable parts like flowers, leaves, and resins rarely survive the millennia. That has left a gap in our understanding of when people actually started smoking or eating the plant. Earlier research suggested cannabis was cultivated in East Asia roughly 6,000 years ago, probably for its oil-rich seeds. Direct evidence of intoxication, however, had been missing.

Dr. Gino Caspari, who led the research, explained that the molecular traces found in the grave suggest the drug was used for its intoxicating properties. The team explored a tomb in the South Siberian Republic of Tyva. There, they uncovered about 1,400 cannabis seeds. Six of them were in good enough condition to date.

Caspari noted that the seeds indicate cannabis played an important role in burial rituals. Yet, possession doesn't prove consumption. The researchers needed proof that someone actually took the drug. They found it in human hair collected from inside the tomb.

The hair contained clear signals consistent with cannabinol (CBN). CBN is produced when tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary intoxicating compound in cannabis, oxidizes. The team also detected weak signals consistent with THC itself. This combination suggests the drug had either been inhaled or ingested by one of the tomb's residents.

How much was taken? How was it consumed? Those questions remain unanswered. The scientists still don't know the dosage or the method of intake. They are now working to analyze the seeds further to see if they were specifically selected or cultivated for higher levels of active compounds.

"We have already begun sequencing some of the plant samples," Caspari said. DNA preservation in this case is excellent. That should help researchers learn more about the history of domestication and the spread of this crop soon.