Earliest evidence of cannabis use found in ancient Siberian tomb

Re:Earliest evidence of cannabis use found in ancient Siberi... by timedude on Sunday November 08, 2026 @09:30AM (#50413676)

This could have been used for medical purposes. I don't see what evidence they present for their claims of people using it to het high specifically.

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Re:Earliest evidence of cannabis use found in ancient Siberi... by conductr on Sunday November 08, 2026 @09:42AM (#50413764)

> This could have been used for medical purposes

Yes, and the researchers/scientists are quoted saying as much in the article

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Re:Earliest evidence of cannabis use found in ancient Siberi... by empath75 on Sunday November 08, 2026 @10:15AM (#50413994)

“ Now they have hemp growing in their land, which is very like flax except in thickness and in height, for in these respects the hemp is much superior. This grows both of itself and with cultivation; and of it the Thracians even make garments, which are very like those made of flaxen thread, so that he who was not specially conversant with it would not be able to decide whether the garments were of flax or of hemp; and he who had not before seen stuff woven of hemp would suppose that the garment was made of flax.

75The Scythians then take the seed of this hemp and creep under the felt coverings, and then they throw the seed upon the stones which have been heated red-hot: and it burns like incense and produces a vapour so thick that no vapour-bath in Hellas would surpass it: and the Scythians being delighted with the vapour-bath howl like wolves.[72] This is to them instead of washing, for in fact they do not wash their bodies at all in water.”

Herodotus.

— Now Herodotus is not exactly a reliable historian, but I don’t think there is any reason for him to have just invented this.

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Re:Earliest evidence of cannabis use found in ancient Siberi... by goodmythical on Sunday November 08, 2026 @10:34AM (#50414140)

Not sure which reporting was submitted to HN, but it was recently posted that they'd confirmed Herodotus' report: https://www.reuters.com/science/siberian-burial-site-reveals...

"Chemical analysis of braids of hair from the bodies of several people found in the central burial chamber identified chemical signatures consistent with THC"

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Re:Earliest evidence of cannabis use found in ancient Siberi... by ceejayoz on Sunday November 08, 2026 @10:17AM (#50414010)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recreational_drug_use_in_anima...

It's not unreasonable to think it possible.

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