An international research team led by Dr. Gino Caspari of the University of Bern and Max Planck Institute has identified what appears to be the oldest directly dated archaeological evidence of cannabis consumption for intoxicating purposes. The discovery comes from an elaborate burial site in the Republic of Tyva in southern Siberia that belonged to prominent members of the Scythian culture, known for their equestrian skills across the Eurasian steppe.
During excavations, researchers recovered approximately 1,000 cannabis seeds from the tomb and used radiocarbon dating on six individual seeds to determine they were deposited during the early eighth century B.C. The preservation of plant material at the site was exceptional, allowing for detailed chemical analysis. Human hair samples recovered from the central burial chamber contained chemical signatures consistent with cannabinol (CBN), a compound that forms when tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—the primary psychoactive agent in cannabis—undergoes oxidation. Weaker signals matching THC mass were also detected, suggesting the individuals had consumed cannabis.
The combination of physical plant remains and molecular evidence in human tissue provides strong indication of intentional cannabis use, though the specific consumption method cannot be definitively established. While the seeds alone could not confirm intoxicant use, as cannabis serves multiple practical purposes including fiber and oil production, the chemical traces in hair linked the plant directly to the buried individuals.
The cannabis was discovered within an exceptionally elaborate ceremonial context. The burial site contained remains of 18 deliberately positioned horses on the burial mound, with continued excavations revealing evidence of several dozen additional sacrificed horses and scattered human bones. These findings suggest cannabis may have played a role in important Scythian funerary traditions.
The research team is conducting further investigations into genetic material from the ancient cannabis samples to determine whether the plants possessed naturally higher psychoactive potency or whether early Scythian communities engaged in selective cultivation. The exceptionally well-preserved plant DNA could provide insights into cannabis domestication and geographic spread across millennia. The findings were published in the journal Science.
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