Ancient Egyptians and Hallucinogenic Rituals #

Researchers have discovered psychedelic drug residues, bodily fluids, and alcohol within a 2,000-year-old mug, indicating that ancient Egyptians may have used hallucinogenic beverages during rituals. This breakthrough marks the first time scientists have definitively identified chemical residues in Bes-shaped vessels, which were intricately crafted with the deity’s image and associated with fertility, protection, and magical purification.

The recent examination of a Bes mug displayed at the Tampa Museum of Art revealed significant insights. Chemical and DNA analyses identified plants with psychotropic and medicinal properties, lending credibility to the ancient written accounts and myths associated with Egyptian rituals. The study suggested that these mugs may not have served ordinary functions, but rather specialized, ritualistic purposes in ceremonies held for worshippers of Bes.

Those involved in rituals likely retained the vessels as mementos of the ceremonies, which often occurred in settings like the Bes Chambers in Saqqara near the Great Pyramids of Giza. Researchers analyzed the mug’s contents by scraping its interior, finding an unexpected cocktail of substances. The detected compounds included an alcoholic base likely made from beer or wine, flavoring agents such as honey and possibly royal jelly, sesame seeds, pine nuts, licorice, and grapes. These ingredients were known in ancient times, with grapes often used to mimic blood.

Further intrigue was sparked by the detection of human bodily fluids—possibly a mix of blood, breast milk, and mucus—deliberately added based on their concentrations. Among the plants identified were Egyptian blue water lily and Syrian rue, noted for their intoxicating, hallucinogenic, and sedative properties, capable of inducing dream-like visions and enhanced states of perception. Additionally, species of the Cleome plant present are known to induce labor or even abortion at high doses.

These discoveries provide a glimpse into magic rituals during Egypt’s Greco-Roman period; it is thought individuals sought the Bes Chambers for confirmation of successful pregnancies amidst the precariousness of childbirth. The concoction’s ingredients likely aligned with sympathetic magic rituals during these times. In some Egyptian festivals, particularly those celebrating the Nile’s flooding, inebriation played a ritual role, often associated with the goddess Hathor.

Depictions of these festivals show participants hurriedly becoming intoxicated to reach altered states, with Bes often appearing alongside Hathor in art and festivities. These findings add a new dimension to the understanding of ancient Egyptian rituals and the significant roles that these hallucinogenic concoctions played in their spiritual and religious practices. Future analyses of similar Bes mugs may illuminate whether such practices were common or reserved for specific events.