---
title: "Archaeologists Uncover Evidence of 2,800-Year-Old Cannabis Use in Siberia"
url: https://newscentral.site/archaeologists-uncover-evidence-of-2-800-year-old-cannabis-use/
language: en
publisher: "News Central Site"
section: "Science"
published: 2026-11-05T19:56:13.000Z
updated: 2026-11-06T15:47:48.406Z
id: 06ba5b96-18ca-4221-9342-4d61c30b0c10
source: "Live Science https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/2-800-year-old-tomb-in-siberia-has-evidence-of-the-earliest-use-of-cannabis-possibly-as-a-way-to-calm-human-sacrifice-victims"
attribution: "Link to https://newscentral.site/archaeologists-uncover-evidence-of-2-800-year-old-cannabis-use/ and name News Central Site when you quote or summarize this story."
---

# Archaeologists Uncover Evidence of 2,800-Year-Old Cannabis Use in Siberia

The discovery was made at a monumental tomb known as a "royal mound" located in the Uyuk valley of southern Siberia, where researchers found evidence of cannabis use and horse sacrifices.

Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery in Siberia, unearthing evidence of cannabis use dating back over 2,800 years. The find was made at a monumental tomb known as a "royal mound" located in the Uyuk valley of southern Siberia.

The site, which has been excavated by researchers, reveals that people practiced a unique funeral ritual involving horse sacrifices and possibly human victims. On top of wooden burial structures, archaeologists found the skeletons of horses arranged to resemble a procession or cavalcade, a common practice among the Scythian people who built this tomb.

Inside the log coffins, researchers discovered tiny seeds from the plant Cannabis ruderalis, a wild type of cannabis or marijuana. This find suggests that these ancient people may have used cannabis as part of their funeral ritual, possibly to calm victims before sacrifice.

The discovery also sheds light on the origins and uses of cannabis in ancient times. According to the study, cannabis likely originated in Asia and was cultivated thousands of years ago for various purposes, including ropes and textiles.

Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery at a 2,800-year-old tomb in Siberia, shedding new light on the earliest known use of cannabis.

The ancient Greeks believed that inhaling fumes from burning hemp seeds had psychoactive properties, but they may not have been entirely accurate about when people first learned to harness these effects. Herodotus' account suggests an earlier date than previously thought, but a recent study has pushed back this timeline by three centuries.

Evidence of cannabis use was found in a burial mound in southern Siberia, where archaeologists uncovered human hair samples that revealed the presence of psychoactive chemical compounds such as cannabinol and THC. These findings suggest that cannabis was used for its intoxicating properties, according to the lead researcher on the study.

The discovery raises questions about the purpose behind this early use of cannabis. While it may have been employed for medicinal or recreational purposes, the burial context suggests a darker intent. The presence of psychoactive compounds in human hair samples from the grave implies that people were consuming these substances, but the extent to which they did so remains unclear.

The findings from the Siberian tomb suggest that humans may have used cannabis to calm victims of human sacrifice as part of funerary rituals 2,800 years ago. This theory is based on the presence of psychoactive compounds in hair samples from the grave, which implies consumption of these substances by individuals who were buried there.

The burial practice at this princely tomb involved extensive horse sacrifices and likely human sacrifices as well, making it a ritualistic context where cannabis may have been used to calm victims. The researchers propose that the plant could have served as an agent to soothe individuals who were about to be included in these rituals.

Future research will focus on other aspects of ancient cannabis, with the team having already begun sequencing some of the plant samples found at the site. This new study confirms the use of cannabis in funerary practices in Central Asia and pushes back the date of this practice by several centuries.

---
Source: [Live Science](https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/2-800-year-old-tomb-in-siberia-has-evidence-of-the-earliest-use-of-cannabis-possibly-as-a-way-to-calm-human-sacrifice-victims)  
Published by News Central Site: https://newscentral.site/archaeologists-uncover-evidence-of-2-800-year-old-cannabis-use/