Romans kept poisonous, narcotic seeds concealed in bone vials, new discovery reveals

[Judi Lynn]

4. Archeologists discover evidence of hallucinogenic and poisonous plant in Roman settlement

The bone, black henbane seeds and tar plug used to keep it sealed. (BIAX Consult)

Daniel Otis
CTVNews.ca Writer
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Updated Feb. 8, 2024 7:10 a.m. CST
Published Feb. 8, 2024 6:42 a.m. CST

Archeologists have discovered the first conclusive evidence that a hallucinogenic and poisonous plant(opens in a new tab) was used in the Roman world.

Known as black henbane, hundreds of the plant's seeds were found in a hollowed-out bone in a rural Roman settlement in the present-day Netherlands. Because the sheep or goat bone was sealed with a birch-bark tar plug, researchers concluded that the seeds were being used intentionally.

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Black henbane is mentioned in ancient and historical sources for its medical properties and its hallucinogenic effects. Also known as Hyoscyamus niger, the nightshade family plant naturally thrives in cultivated land and farming communities. It is lethal in larger doses.

Writing nearly 2,000 years ago, Roman author Pliny the Elder discussed the plant's various medicinal uses, including for insect stings, earaches and tooth disease. The settlement of Houten-Castellum in the Netherlands where the seed container was found would have stood at the rural periphery of the Roman Empire, suggesting henbane use could have been widespread.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/archeologists-discover-evidence-of-hallucinogenic-and-poisonous-plant-in-roman-settlement-1.6756196