Siberian grave shows cannabis use 2,800 years ago
Seeds and chemical traces in human hair point, according to researchers, to use for its intoxicating effect.
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In a grave from the early eighth century BC, researchers say they have found evidence that people used cannabis for its mind-altering effects. The discovery in southern Siberia is considered by the researchers to be the oldest directly dated evidence of this.
The international research team examined a monumental grave in the Uyuk Valley in the Russian republic of Tuva. More than 1,400 cannabis seeds were found in the grave. In preserved human hair, the researchers also detected molecular traces of substances associated with cannabis.
The combination of seeds and hair traces is important because cannabis can also be used for fibre, oil and food. The presence of plant remains alone therefore does not prove that people used the plant as an intoxicant. The researchers say the chemical traces in the hair strengthen the evidence of consumption.
The dating places the discovery in the early eighth century BC, approximately 2,800 years ago. The grave is associated with the Scythian culture, a group of societies that lived on the Eurasian steppe and were known for horsemanship, warfare and goldworking.
The researchers cannot infer from the discovery how much THC the plants contained. Nor has it been established whether the plants were specifically selected or cultivated to produce a stronger intoxicating effect. The study therefore says something about use, but not about the strength or precise way in which cannabis was administered.
The research has been published in Science. The researchers describe the discovery as the oldest directly dated evidence of this use. This does not establish when cannabis use began.
The discovery fits into a broader history in which cannabis had various functions. The plant had been used for fibre and oil for much longer; the new study mainly makes it plausible that, in this Siberian context, its intoxicating effect was also part of its use.
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The claims about the site, dating, seeds and hair traces have been confirmed by the university and Reuters. The text makes clear which conclusions the study does not allow.
- confirmed More than 1,400 cannabis seeds were found in a Siberian grave. — The University of Bern gives this figure. source
- confirmed Human hair contained molecular traces of cannabis compounds. — This is stated in the university summary and Reuters reporting. source
- confirmed The discovery dates from the early eighth century BC. — The university gives this radiocarbon dating. source
- confirmed The study was published in Science on 5 November 2026. — The university source refers to the Science publication. source
Editor's note
The study is peer-reviewed, and the dating and discovery have been described by the university and Reuters. The THC strength, plant selection and exact method of consumption remain unknown.Sources
- Cannabis wurde offenbar schon vor 2'800 Jahren als Rauschmittel genutzt — Universität Bern via Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
- Siberian burial site reveals ancient use of cannabis as an intoxicant — Reuters
- Direct evidence for psychoactive cannabis use 2,800 years ago — Science
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „cannabis archeologie”
- De Telegraaf — „cannabis archeologie”
- AD — „cannabis archeologie”