Journal De Bruxelles - Earliest Cannabis High Found in Siberian Tomb Challenges Historical Timeline

Archaeologists excavating a monumental burial site in southern Siberia have uncovered evidence suggesting the earliest known use of cannabis for psychoactive purposes, dating back approximately 2,800 years. The findings from the Tunnug 1 tomb indicate that ancient Scythians consumed the plant significantly earlier than previously documented in neighboring regions.

The discovery pushes back the timeline for human consumption of psychoactive cannabis by at least 300 years compared to the oldest documented cases in China. An international team comprising researchers from Germany, Russia, Sweden, and Switzerland analyzed hair samples found within the royal tomb alongside preserved cannabis seeds. The results, published Thursday in the journal Science, provide new insights into the role of the plant in ancient societies.

"It’s extremely rare that we have both preserved plant parts and human soft tissue with the active compounds in it in the same context," said co-author Gino Caspari, an archaeologist at the University of Bern. The team established the age of the seeds through radiocarbon dating, confirming they were deposited within the tomb rather than arriving by accident, which suggests the plant material held specific significance for the community.

The project began in 2017 at Tunnug 1, a massive burial mound in the Uyuk Valley. The site contains one of the earliest monumental tombs belonging to the Scythians, ancient nomadic groups who migrated from Central Asia into southern Russia and Ukraine. Working in remote conditions that included swamps, snowstorms, severe frost, and mosquito swarms, the team lived in tents for months. Alongside larger artifacts such as weapons, horse gear, and animal-style motifs, they identified tiny black spots that proved to be cannabis seeds alongside preserved human hair.

"It’s only so often as an archaeologist that you do get to drug test a person that’s been dead for almost 3,000 years," Caspari noted. However, it remains unclear whether the cannabis was inhaled or ingested.

The findings challenge existing historical records. The Greek historian Herodotus recorded inhabitants of Central Asia smoking cannabis around 440 B.C., and recent archaeological work has uncovered seeds in tombs throughout the region's highlands. Today, scholars generally do not consider ancient accounts trustworthy without corroborating evidence. Because the cannabis plant has other uses—seeds are pressed for oil and fibers used for cloth—their presence alone does not confirm drug use.

Some independent experts have expressed skepticism regarding the study's conclusions. Volker Auwaerter, head of the forensic toxicology section at the University Medical Center in Freiburg, Germany, described the hair analysis as "scientifically weak" in an email. He argued that there is insufficient evidence to determine whether cannabis was used for its psychoactive properties.

"For a central part of the study, the article falls far short of what would have been possible," Auwaerter wrote. He noted that the data did not distinguish between consumption and external exposure, meaning the hair could have picked up traces of cannabis simply by being buried alongside it. Auwaerter suggested that a lab test involving forensic toxicology expertise would have been advisable to verify the findings.

The debate highlights the complexities of interpreting archaeological evidence for ancient drug use. While the presence of active compounds in preserved human tissue is significant, experts emphasize the need for rigorous verification to rule out contamination or environmental exposure. The study adds a new layer to the understanding of how ancient nomadic groups interacted with psychoactive plants, but it also underscores the challenges of drawing definitive conclusions from limited physical evidence.

G.Lenaerts --JdB