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

[Judi Lynn]

By Jennifer Nalewicki published 1 day ago

A hollowed-out animal bone was used by Romans to store a stash of poisonous seeds and is the first-ever evidence of the seeds' use during the Roman era.



Nearly 2,000 years ago, someone used a hollowed-out piece of bone as a container for storing hundreds of poisonous seeds.

Archaeologists found the carved-out animal femur, or thigh bone, which likely came from a goat or sheep, at Houten-Castellum, a rural Roman-period settlement in what is now the Netherlands. Prior to this discovery in 2017, there had been no physical evidence of this plant being used by people in the Roman Empire, according to a statement.

The tiny seeds come from the black henbane (Hyoscyamus niger), a highly poisonous plant from the nightshade family. Henbane has long been prized for its medicinal properties and hallucinogenic effects, according to a new study, published in the April issue of the journal Antiquity.

Researchers have found similar seeds scattered at archaeologist sites across Europe dating back to 5500 B.C. However, it's often challenging to determine whether the presence of black henbane at these sites indicates it was used or appeared naturally, as the plant grows like a weed.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/romans-kept-poisonous-narcotic-seeds-concealed-in-bone-vials-new-discovery-reveals