Ancient Mediterranean 'Juglet' Contained Traces of Opium

[Judi Lynn]

By Rachael Rettner, Senior Writer | October 3, 2018 06:42am ET

A curious-looking container, discovered in the Mediterranean and dating back to more than 3,000 years ago, has been found to contain traces of opium, according to a new study from U.K. researchers.

The findings add evidence to a long-running debate about whether the containers, called "base-ring juglets," were used to carry opium.

The containers were widely traded in the eastern Mediterranean around 1650 to 1350 B.C. [Trippy Tales: The History of 8 Hallucinogens]

Beginning in the 1960s, some researchers hypothesized that the shape of the containers was a clue to their purpose: When inverted, they look like the seed heads of opium poppies.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/63733-mediterranean-juglet-contained-opium.html