(NLDO) - Hallucinogens still exist after 2,000 years of being buried. However, this ancient Egyptian "magic" may have had a good purpose.
According to SciTech Daily , Professor Davide Tanasi from the University of South Florida discovered the first physical evidence of hallucinogens in an Egyptian Bes cup, an artifact believed to be associated with mysterious rituals.
These cups are decorated with the head of Bes, a god or guardian demon in ancient Egyptian culture.
Bes represents the protective power of fertility, healing, and magical purification.
A Bes cup used in the study - Photo: Cassidy Delamarter
According to the article published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports , the remaining substances in the cup were analyzed to be natural medicinal herbs with psychoactive properties.
This corroborates centuries-old written records and legends of ancient Egyptian rituals and practices that occurred in the Bes Chambers area of Saqqara, near the Giza Pyramids, where the Bes Cups were found.
Saqqara was a sacred land and a large ancient cemetery of the Egyptians.
"For a very long time, Egyptologists have speculated what the cups shaped like Bes's head could have been used for and what kind of drink they could have contained, such as sacred water, milk, wine or beer," said Dr. Tanasi.
Experts do not know whether these cups were used in everyday life, for religious purposes, or in magical rituals.
However, they were still somewhat skeptical because of their shape and the place where they were excavated.
In addition to the psychoactive drugs, the remaining organic matter in the cup also included alcohol and some bodily fluids - possibly saliva or something that had been spilled.
The mixture is also flavored with honey, sesame seeds, pine nuts, licorice and grapes, which together give the drink a blood-red color.
Analysis also suggests that caravans of pregnant women nearing delivery may have been brought to the Bes Chambers at Saqqara to pray for a successful delivery, as pregnancy and childbirth in the ancient world were fraught with danger.
This combination of ingredients may have been used in a hallucinogenic ritual during this dangerous period of childbirth.
It is unclear whether the ritual was symbolic or had any other purpose, including who the drink was intended for and whether it was a sedative for pregnant women.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/bi-an-ma-thuat-gay-ao-giac-trong-chiec-coc-ai-cap-2000-tuoi-196241126111639208.htm
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