Ancient Cannabis Stash Unearthed in China

[Budman2012]

December 11, 2008

(CNN) -- An ancient race that lived 2,700 years ago in the Gobi Desert may have been among the first to use cannabis for medical or religious purposes.

 

Nearly two pounds of the plant was found stashed in the tomb of a Gushi shaman. It was high in the chemical compounds that provide its psychoactive properties.

 

Researchers believe an ancient Gushi shaman may have consumed or burned pot for medical or religious purposes.

 

"It had evidence of the chemical attributes of cannabis used as a drug," said Dr. Ethan Russo, an author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Botany. "It could have been for pain control. It could have been for other medicinal properties. It could have been used as an aid to divination."

 

The Gushi people were a Caucasian race with light hair and blue eyes who likely migrated thousands of years ago from the steppes of Russia to what is now China. A nomadic people, they were accomplished horsemen and archers.

 

Chinese archaeologists excavating a network of 2,500 tombs near the town of Turpan in the Xinjiang-Uighur Autonomous Region unearthed the shaman's grave, which contained the cannabis, along with a trove of artifacts such as bridles, archery equipment and a rare harp.

 

The shaman is thought to have been about 45 years old when he died. Many of the bodies recovered in the area were found in an incredibly well-preserved, almost mummified condition. The shaman, however, was a skeleton.

 

"The deceased was laid out on the bottom of this tomb on a little bier," Russo said. "This individual seemed to be very high status because of the variety and quality of the grave goods, including the equestrian equipment, the archery equipment and the large amount of cannabis."

 

Russo said no pipe for smoking the cannabis was found in the shaman's tomb. Researchers think he might have eaten the cannabis or possibly put it on a burning fire to create fumes.

 

They don't think it was used to make hemp clothing or rope, as some other early cultures did. Genetic analysis of the plant suggests it was cultivated rather than gathered from the wild.

 

This find is not the first or the oldest example of ancient people using cannabis, but it may be the best studied.

 

"There may have been older finds of cannabis, but not with this level of scientific investigation attached to them," Russo said.

 

Source: CNN

Link: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asia...ncient.cannabis

 

[luciddreaming]

Interesting. Why is this being studied more than the other finds? Like the 4000 year old one a couple of months back?

[Budman2012]

Good question Lucid ...

I suppose It's just another link in the chain of evidence to humankinds usage of Cannabis for millenia ... The article does say that older Cannabis materials have been found dating back even earlier , but I can't find anything on it yet. If you remember where the article about the 4000 year old find is could you please post it here Lucid? ... thanx.

 

Here's another , more detailed article on it ...

 

2,700 Year Old Cannabis sativa Discovered

 

Category: Archaeology

March 28, 2009

An interesting paper in the Journal of Experimental Botany published back in December discusses the discovery of 2,700 Year Old Cannabis sativa. The discovery was made in the Yanghai tombs in China.

 

There are an estimated 2,500 tombs in the region that date to around 3200-2000 years BP. A number of the bodies are actually mummified. The tomb we are interested in has been given the designation M90.

 

Cannabis.JPGThe burial at Tomb M90

 

The burial is that of a 45 year old male. The grave goods included bridles, archery equipment, a harp, a leather basket, and a wooden bowl. Both the basket and the bowl were filled with vegetative matter - about 789 grams (~ 1 pound 11 ounces). Radiocarbon dating was performed and a calibrated date of 2,700 years BP was returned. Analysis of the vegetative material indicated it was Cannabis sativa. Furthing testing indicated it was psychoactive. As the paper points out, there are still some unresolved questions:

 

Current data do not permit it to be ascertained how the cannabis from the tomb was administered. If used orally, perhaps it was combined in some fashion with Capparis spinosa L., as these plants were found together in a nearby but later tomb at Yanghai ... That date for that tomb was initially reported as 2700 years BP via radiocarbon methods, and since corrected to 2200-2400 years BP with additional calibration employing tree ring data. If this cannabis were smoked or inhaled, no mechanism for so doing has been excavated in the area. The Gushi could have sifted the cannabis through fabric after pounding, then fumigated it, much as described for the alleged cannabis candidate, the Sumerian A.ZAL.LA, administered medicinally for 'hand of ghost'..., since posited as nocturnal epilepsy ... While this culture could have arrived from the earlier BMAC region as 'oasis hoppers' ..., and certain cultural relationships are apparent to the Scythian culture with respect to cannabis use and equestrian prowess, those peoples were Iranian speakers ... In addition, Gushi cultural affinities and burial practices much more closely resemble those of the presumed proto-Tocharian speaking, incense-burning ... Afanasievo peoples in the Yenisei Valley to the north ..., whose putative southward migration some authorities have attributed to 'global cooling' c. 4000 years BP ..., and to their proto-Indo-European-speaking Yamnaya forebears further west, dating to 6000 years BP ... Abundant mysteries remain as to the origins and customs of the Gushi. Additional answers may accrue from future archaeological excavations or human genetic analyses that elucidate relationships with other ancient cultures and modern peoples of the region. The unique SNPs discovered in this ancient sample may yet be of critical importance in tracing the phylogeny and geographic spread of cannabis and the humans who used it.

 

Source: Afarensis

Link: http://scienceblogs.com/afarensis/2009/03/...abis_sativa.php

Cheerz,

 

Budman

[Budman2012]

High All,

 

To Lucid ... man , I've still never found anything but speculation stories involving the 4000yr old find

If ANYONE can find some more info about that find ... We''d all appreciate reading it I'm sure

 

In links like this:

 

relevant link <- One might think that it's dissapointing that the "Illustrations" and diagrams are not included therein ... I mean , this is a VERY important subject as far as I'm concerned ... sure it is well known that Cannabis has been used (for all it's benefits) for at least 3000 years ... but what about before that? ...

 

Is there not PROOF of earlier use by peoples? ... I'm pretty sure the plant would be just as "historic" as the human is ... Human consumption of Cannabis most likely goes all the way back to the first age of Man-Like beings ... It could have even had a great deal to do with human evolution as we know it ...

 

Of course anything like actual solid "proof" on this matter would be extremely hard to ever establish ... but it is known that there have been earlier finds of Cannabis before (disregarding the exactness or lack thereof of carbon dating and other such methods)

 

I just wish that there was "ultimate disclosure" on ALL subjects so that the rising researchers could more easily access the relevant information.

But the "stream" of information nowadays seems so skewed in favour of "prestige" and finance that it's still so hard to fathom ... What? is exactly What? ...

 

I've much more to say but I will leave it there for now

Cheerz

 

Budman

 

P.s. This is a cool little page too :

 

:Source Link:

 

But does anyone have any access to more information on Ancient Archeological finds regarding Cannabis? ... or other journals on the topic???

 

Cheerz ... and ... Look to the Ancient Pipe!

 

Budman