A Brief History of Drugs. 7 Ways Our Ancestors Got High. Shocking Facts
Summary
TLDRThis episode delves into the ancient world's seven main drugs, exploring their roles in religious rituals, medicine, and daily life. From marijuana's use in China's Yangshao culture to Egypt's dominance in opium trade, the video uncovers how psychoactive substances were integral to civilizations. It also discusses the potential substances behind the mythical soma, the stimulant effects of Southeast Asia's betel nut, and the legendary ferocity of Viking berserkers possibly fueled by henbane. The episode serves as a historical journey through the use and cultural significance of drugs across different ancient societies.
Takeaways
- πΏ Hemp was one of the first plants domesticated by humans, with its seeds used for food and oil, and its fibers for making ropes and textiles.
- π The psychoactive properties of cannabis were known in ancient cultures, with evidence of its use found in ancient China and Egypt for medicinal purposes.
- π₯ Ancient people in the Pamir region smoked cannabis, as indicated by the discovery of braziers containing cannabinol, a byproduct of THC, in an ancient graveyard.
- πΎ Opium has been known to humanity for thousands of years, with early evidence of its use found in Neolithic settlements and detailed in ancient texts like the Ebers Papyrus.
- πΌ Egyptians were major exporters of opium, trading it with Phoenicians and Minoans, spreading its use across the Mediterranean and into Europe.
- π± The use of stimulants like betel nut and leaves was prevalent in Southeast Asia, with evidence of its consumption dating back thousands of years.
- π The identity of the sacred drug soma, mentioned in ancient Hindu and Zoroastrian texts, remains a mystery, with several plant candidates proposed.
- π± Coca leaves were used by ancient Peruvians, with evidence of its consumption dating back 8,000 years, and it was integral to the Inca Empire.
- π΅ Native Americans used hallucinogens like peyote for spiritual rites, with archaeological findings supporting its long history of use.
- βοΈ The legendary berserkers of Scandinavian sagas may have used substances like henbane to induce a fierce, battle-ready state, although the exact substances remain debated.
Q & A
What are some of the earliest plants known to be used for their psychoactive properties?
-Some of the earliest plants known for their psychoactive properties include marijuana, opium poppy, and coca leaves.
How was hemp used in ancient cultures?
-In ancient cultures, hemp was used for various purposes such as cooking and making oil from its seeds, using its stems for ropes and textiles, and its blossoms for medicinal recipes and smoking.
What is the significance of the discovery of wooden braziers with cannabinol in ancient Pamir graves?
-The discovery of wooden braziers with cannabinol in ancient Pamir graves suggests that ancient people of Pamir knew how to select cannabis with higher psychoactive properties for smoking.
How did the Scythians use cannabis?
-The Scythians used cannabis by fumigating their tents with cannabis smoke and drinking a poppy brew, as indicated by the discovery of gold bowls with traces of opium and cannabis in their tombs.
What is the history of opium use in ancient Egypt?
-In ancient Egypt, opium was used as a painkiller and sedative. It was also exported to other regions such as Carthage, Greece, and Europe, making Egypt a significant exporter of opium.
What is the significance of the Sumerian clay tablet in the context of opium?
-The Sumerian clay tablet, dating back to over 2,000 years BC, is one of the earliest known records of opium poppy, indicating the plant's long history of use.
What are some of the potential ingredients of the ancient beverage soma?
-The ancient beverage soma, mentioned in Hindu and Zoroastrian texts, could have been made from ingredients such as toadstools, poppy flowers, hemp plant, or ephedra.
How did Native Americans use coca leaves?
-Native Americans used coca leaves for its energizing effects, often chewed by couriers and soldiers to help them endure long journeys and to measure the distance traveled.
What is the significance of the discovery of a shaman's tomb in Bolivia containing traces of various psychotropic substances?
-The discovery indicates the use of multiple psychoactive plants in ancient rituals and ceremonies, including the components of the hallucinogenic drink ayahuasca.
What is the theory behind the ferocity of berserkers in Scandinavian sagas?
-The ferocity of berserkers might have been due to the consumption of substances like toadstools or henbane before battles, which could induce intense strength and fearlessness.
Why did Roman authors mention cannabis in their texts?
-Roman authors were familiar with cannabis, acknowledging its use for both recreational and medicinal purposes, as well as its potential to induce laughter.
Outlines
πΏ Ancient Drug Use: Marijuana and Opium
This paragraph delves into the historical use of marijuana and opium in ancient cultures. It discusses how marijuana was one of the first plants domesticated by humans, with its seeds used for cooking and oil production, and its stems for making ropes and textiles. The psychoactive properties of the hemp blossom were used in ancient Egyptian medicine to treat inflammation. Evidence of cannabis smoking dates back 2500 years, found in ancient Chinese tombs with braziers containing cannabinol. The paragraph also explores the use of opium, detailing its cultivation since the early Neolithic Age and its medicinal use in ancient Egypt as a painkiller and sedative. The trade of opium is highlighted, showing Egypt as a significant exporter during the reign of Pharaohs, with its use spreading to Greece and Europe.
πΊ Opium's Ancient Trade and Southeast Asia's Stimulants
This segment continues the exploration of opium, noting its trade from Egypt to Phoenicians and Minoans, and its presence in Carthage, Greece, and Europe. It mentions the poppy goddess statue from Crete and the discovery of opium inhalation devices in Cyprus. The narrative then shifts to Southeast Asia, discussing the use of stimulants like betel nut and palm, known for their red-staining properties and widespread chewing tradition. The paragraph also introduces 'soma', a mystical substance from Hindu and Zoroastrian texts, believed to have hallucinogenic and medicinal properties. The identity of soma remains a mystery, with theories ranging from toadstools and poppy flowers to the ephedra plant, which contains a psychostimulant similar to amphetamine.
π Coca and Hallucinogens in Ancient America
The final paragraph shifts focus to the New World, discussing the ancient use of coca leaves in South America, with evidence dating back 8000 years. It details the use of coca by Inca Empire couriers and soldiers for its energizing effects. The paragraph also covers the use of hallucinogens by Native American shamans for spiritual communication, with a focus on peyote, a cactus containing mescaline. Archaeological findings, such as a shaman's tomb with drug consumption tools and traces of psychotropic substances, are highlighted. The segment concludes with a discussion on the legendary Scandinavian berserkers, fierce warriors possibly fueled by substances like henbane, which aligns with their described ferocity. The paragraph serves as a cautionary note on the historical context of drug use and the importance of not misusing this information.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Charmin
π‘Opium
π‘Cannabis
π‘Psychoactive substances
π‘Religious rituals
π‘Hemp
π‘Ancient Egyptian pottery
π‘Mesopotamia
π‘Pamir
π‘Soma
Highlights
Ancient people used drugs like marijuana and opium for various purposes, including religious rituals and medicine.
Hemp was one of the first plants domesticated by humans, with both practical and medicinal uses.
Ancient Egyptians called hemp 'Shem shamit' and used it for treating inflammation and various other medical conditions.
Archaeological evidence suggests cannabis was smoked for its psychoactive effects as early as 2500 years ago.
The Scythians, an ancient nomadic group, smoked cannabis in tents and used it for both celebratory and religious reasons.
Opium has been known to humanity for almost as long as cannabis, with evidence of its use dating back to the Neolithic Age.
Egypt was a major exporter of opium, trading it with Phoenicians and Minoans, spreading its use across Europe.
Opium was used as a painkiller and sedative in ancient Egypt, and its cultivation was a significant part of their economy.
Archaeological findings in the Mediterranean region suggest opium was inhaled for its psychoactive effects.
In Southeast Asia, stimulants like betel nut were chewed for their mood-enhancing and confidence-boosting effects.
The identity of the ancient drug 'soma' remains a mystery, with theories ranging from mushrooms to ephedra plants.
Native Americans used coca leaves for their energizing effects, dating back 8,000 years.
Peyote, a cactus containing mescaline, has been used by Native Americans for spiritual rites for thousands of years.
Berserkers, legendary Scandinavian warriors, may have used substances like henbane to induce a ferocious battle state.
The use of drugs for various purposes has been a part of human history for thousands of years.
The fight against drug use is a relatively recent development in human history, compared to the long-standing relationship with psychoactive substances.
Transcripts
in this episode how it was we will tell
you what exactly Charmin smoked why
Egypt was the main exporter of opium in
the world and what drug made you braver
on the battlefield let's go
[Music]
seven main drugs of the ancient world
drugs they've been part of our lives
throughout the history of humankind
maybe there is something about the
nature of homo sapiens that makes us
seek that hi just imagine how impressive
hallucinations would seem to ancient
people in many cultures drug use became
part of religious rituals everyday life
and even medicine it isn't easy to
research ancient peoples hobbies
revolving around psychoactive substances
since the integrity of organic matter
leaves something to be desired it's hard
but not impossible
there's still some information let's
start with light drugs marijuana hemp is
one of the first plants domesticated by
people hemp seeds which do not contain
psychoactive substances were cooked and
used to make oil the stems were used for
ropes and textile for instance this is
an amphora from the yangshao culture
which existed in China around 5,000
years BC the patterns on its sides are
made using a hemp rope the blossom on
the other hand was smoked and used in
medication recipes for hemp medication
can be found in ancient Egyptian pottery
it was meant to be used to treat various
inflammatory processes in the body
Egyptians called hemp Shem shamit they
recommended smoking it eating it rubbing
it into the skin and eyes and douching
the vagina and the anus with hemp brew
Mesopotamia with another location where
cannabis was used in medication yet
written records don't specify if those
recipes were ever actually used in real
life some physical evidence of smoking
in the ancient world was found in 2019
while digging an ancient graveyard on
the Chinese side of the Pamir
in range 8 out of 40 Toombs had wooden
braziers filled with stones in them
radiocarbon dating was used to find out
the age of the artifacts it turned out
to be 2500 years old the sides of the
braziers and the stones were covered in
cannabinol this is a product of the main
psychoactive substance in cannabis known
as tetrahydrocannabinol or THC for short
the amount of cannabinoid C content it
was higher than in wild cannabis plant
which contains almost no psychoactive
substances to put it simply when the
ancient people of Pamir wanted to smoke
they knew how to pick cannabis which
would get them really high Sid Ian's
smoked in much the same way father of
history Herodotus describes the
procedure in detail SID Ian's would make
a tent around red-hot stones get inside
put seeded buds on the stones and the
smoke would make them shout aloud for a
long time there was no other evidence of
severe and smoking cannabis but in the
30s car chief archaeologist sir Jay
rudenko found a hole smoking set in some
ancient ruins near the Altai Mountains a
felt and never tempt a bag filled with
hemp seeds sensors designed for inhaling
smoke and a bronze cauldron with some
burned seeds rudenko assumed that silly
UNS used marijuana not only for
celebratory or religious reasons but
also as a recreational activity digging
into Cillian tombs in Stavropol Krai in
russia in 2013
archaeologists found gold bowls the
sticky dark traces on the bottom was
sent to forensic experts and they
identified them to be a mixture of opium
and cannabis archaeologists believed
that Sid Ian's would fumigate their
tents with cannabis smoke and drink
poppy brew the things that must have
gone on in that tent
the fact that the artifacts were made
from gold and were found in the tombs of
people belonging to a high rank in the
society shows that smoking was if not
sacred then at least prestigious among
the Sevilla Nolita regular civilians on
the other hand probably used the method
described by Herodotus Roman authors too
were familiar with cannabis clearly the
elder calls it
laughing leif all while answering the
eternal question what do you do to ease
off the high the recipe goes like this
you have to mix pine cones with pepper
and honey in palm wine and drink the
mixture you obtain we take no
responsibility for the safety and
efficiency of this recipe
opium Humanity has known opium poppy
plant for almost as long as the good old
cannabis in Europe its seeds were found
in settlements dating back to early
Neolithic Age one of the earliest poppy
artifacts dates back to the 6th
millennium BC traces of poppy youths
were found in a flooded settlement in
llama matzah in modern Italy the
analysis of poppy seeds found on that
site showed that the plant was different
from wild poppy this means that it was
actually grown on purpose as soon as the
first writing systems appeared ancient
authors started telling the world about
opium the first known record of opium
poppy was found on a Sumerian clay
tablet dating back to over 2,000 years
BC detailed guidelines on using opium
poppy can also be found on babel
cylinders with wedged writing or in
ancient Egyptian papyri Egyptians used
poppy juice as a painkiller
and a sedative they would drink it all
squirt it into the anus the author of
the oldest known medical work for so
called Ebers papyrus dating back to the
16th century bc recommended giving poppy
juice to young children so they wouldn't
scream fight as much
ancient Egyptian poppy was known for its
remarkable quality during the reign of
Pharaoh's Hut Mo's the forth Akhenaten
and Tutankhamun Egypt would sell poppy
to Phoenicians and Minoans this way
opium from the Nile River Valley ended
up in Carthage Greece and then further
in Europe one thing attesting to the
importance of opium poppy back then was
a statue from Crete the poppy goddess
the poppy capsules on their head have
distinctive cuts on them precisely the
type of cuts made to get poppy milk
containing opium next to the statue
archeologists found a cylinder shaped
vars used for inhaling opium vapors a
similar one was also found in Cyprus
beetle while the Mediterranean region
was doing its own thing with opium in
Southeast Asia people preferred
stimulators in the doyeong cave site of
Palawan Island in the Philippines
archaeologists found a skeleton with
distinctive red stains on its teeth the
age of the find is estimated to be about
four and a half thousand years such
traces are typical of cures of Erica
nuts and leaves of beetle a close
relative of pepper in many countries of
Southeast Asia palm that's what the
combination is called here is widely
chewed today which is easy to notice
looking at the ground covered in red
spit Huracan nuts contain a stimulant
called a Rekha line it makes a person
feel stronger lighter more confident
more at ease but there is a problem the
preparation is addictive and it also
causes gum inflammation darkens teeth
and may even lead to cancer soma holy
books from the 2nd and 1st millennia BC
Erich Vader of the Hindu and a Vesta of
Zoroastrians
are filled with mentions of soma or
hyoma an iconic drug in three forms no
less first off it is mentioned as an
ingredient but there are also mentions
of it as a beverage and as a deity
praise be to thee o hyoma for he makes
the poor man
thoughts as great as any of the richest
whom so ever said
Zoroastrianism onus indian brahmins
would call soma a master of the world
dear to gods a companion to gods our God
for God's the beverage was believed to
have respiratory catting Hallucigenia
and medicinal properties it helps you
live longer Ward's off poverty and worry
helps the poor to feel rich inspires
singers to sing and grants inspiration
to poets to obtain the drink the plant
would be soaked in water strained with
the help of pressing stones filtered and
then milk and honey would be added
sacred books describe the process of
preparation but don't name the main
ingredient directly in the Rig Veda
hymns soma is described as a red child
of the earth without any leaves flowers
or fruit and with a head that looks like
an eye say what was this miraculous
drink made from researchers are still
debating that the possible options for
what soma wars include toadstools poppy
flowers hemp plant and a federal bush
there are a lot of reasons corroborating
each of those versions famous psychonaut
an ethnologist Terence Mckenna
personally verified all of the recipes
of Rig Veda and claimed at soma was the
psilocybin or magic mushroom growing on
cowpats there's some logic in that the
sacred drink would be created using the
feces of an animal highly respected by
the Hindus another viable candidate is
the ephedra plant ephedra contains an
alkaloid called
f redeem a psychostimulant similar in
its properties to amphetamine by the way
in the 20th century f adrene was used to
treat asthma how about some evidence in
the 1970s archaeologists dug up an
ancient settlement of GaN or deep on the
territory of present-day Turkmenistan
some researchers believe it was
inhabited by ancient indo-iranians and
was one of the earliest centres of
Zoroastrianism in the town temple
archaeologists found dishes with
traces of ephedra and cannabis in the
temple of toga Locke another settlement
of that time they found vessels with
traces of ephedrine and opium poppy may
be soma contained a mixture of various
substances we don't know that for sure
yet
Native Americans also knew how to get
into an altered state of consciousness
let's start with good old coca the
earliest record of coca leaf consumption
was found in the nan choc valley in the
north of Peru traces of leaves were
found in excavations of ancient
settlements with pieces of calcite a
mineral helping extract alkaloids from
the leaves and thus strengthening the
effect those artifacts are about 8,000
years old
it seems that coca was used everywhere
in South America for instance it was
common in the Inca Empire Butler's
couriers and soldiers wore small bags
with saltbush ash chalk stone and leaves
of this energizing plant to measure the
distance they've walked in one day they
would refer to the amount of coca that
was chewed mescaline Native Americans
were also familiar with hallucinogens
shamans would use them to communicate
with spirits there are many plants in
the new world that can get you high for
instance there are a few types of cacti
containing mescaline one of the
best-known kinds is peyote which grows
in Mexico and translates from the Aztec
language as glisten orb listening the
earliest records of its consumption date
back to the 4th millennium BC Spanish
conquistadors wrote quite a lot about
rites where the cactus was used they
considered its effects to be devil's
work and put a lot of effort into making
people quit the habit safe to say they
didn't succeed peyote is still used for
spiritual rites in numerous Native
American communities to this day in 2019
archaeologists found a tomb of a shaman
from about a thousand years ago in the
southwest of Bolivia in his bag he had a
full set for drug consumption small
wooden platforms for blending the leaves
and inhaling
a carved tube decorated with human
braids tiny llama bones spatulas which
were possibly used for mixing two pieces
of the actual plant and the most
precious thing a pouch from three Fox
nuts in the pouch they found traces of
four different psychotropic substances
two of which are the primary components
of the hallucinogenic drink ayahuasca
which is still being used in rituals and
ceremonies the secret of the battle
booster now let's talk about berserkers
the legendary warriors featured in
Scandinavian sagas Snorri Sturluson
described ferocious warriors in his in
linga saga they rushed forwards without
armor were as mad as dogs or wolves bit
their shields and were strong as bears
or wild bulls and killed people at a
blow but neither fire nor iron told upon
themselves berserkers strength and
invincibility may well have been
exaggerated by saga authors but there is
no doubt but they existed what made them
so fierce them there are still
discussions going on about that the most
popular version of course is that
berserkers would take something before a
fight
what then for a long time toadstools
were considered the most likely product
but in 1977 during a dig into a Viking
tomb in the modern Denmark
archaeologists found henbane seeds it
turns out the symptoms it causes a much
closer to the description of berserkers
ferocity in Scandinavian sagas than
toadstools or alcohol however
archaeologists need more information to
decide which version is actually the
most likely to be true people have
consumed drugs for thousands of years
but only started fighting against them
about a hundred years ago that's going
to be a tough battle more importantly
please don't try to use any of this
information at home it will not turn you
into a shaman or the zurka stay safe
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