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Ancient Cannabis Use in the Pamir Mountains
The Jirzankal Cemetery and the Evidence of Cannabis Use
The question asks about the earliest evidence of cannabis use, and the most recent information available as of today, 2025-07-05, points to the Jirzankal Cemetery in the Pamir Mountains of western China as a key site for this discovery.
The Jirzankal Cemetery, dating back approximately 2,500 years (around 500 BCE), has yielded significant evidence of ritual cannabis use. Archaeologists found wooden braziers (incense burners) and burnt stones at the site that tested positive for cannabis residue.[1] The analysis of the residue revealed the presence of cannabinol (CBN), a chemical released when THC is burned, indicating that the cannabis smoked at the site was likely potent.[2]
Ritual Context and Significance
Implications and Comparisons
The context of the discovery suggests that cannabis was used in funerary rituals. The braziers were found in tombs, and the researchers believe that the cannabis was smoked to induce an altered state of consciousness, possibly to communicate with the spirits of the deceased or the divine.[3] The presence of musical instruments, such as an angular harp, and evidence of possible human sacrifice further suggest complex ritual practices at the cemetery.[4]
The Silk Road Connection
The findings at Jirzankal Cemetery provide some of the earliest direct evidence of humans inhaling combusted cannabis for its psychoactive effects.[5] This discovery aligns with the descriptions of cannabis use by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who wrote about the Scythians using cannabis smoke in funerary rites.[6] The high-altitude location of the cemetery may have also influenced the cannabis's potency, as higher altitudes can lead to increased THC content in the plants.[7]
The Jirzankal Cemetery's location on the Pamir Plateau, a crucial crossroads on the Silk Road, suggests that the knowledge of cannabis smoking and specific high-THC varieties may have spread along these trade routes.[8] This also implies that the people buried at the site came from various cultures, as indicated by the strontium isotope analysis of the human remains.[9]
The earliest direct evidence for human consumption of cannabis as a drug has been discovered in a 2,500-year-old cemetery in Central Asia, specifically at the Jirzankal Cemetery in the Pamir Mountains of western China.
Authoritative Sources
- People may have smoked marijuana in rituals 2,500 years ago in western China. [Science News]↩
- In China, 2,500-year-old evidence of cannabis smoking. [PBS]↩
- The First Evidence of Smoking Pot Was Found in a 2,500-Year-Old Pot. [Smithsonian Magazine]↩
- Scientists find evidence of dank weed at 2,500-year-old funeral site. [VICE]↩
- Earliest evidence cannabis marijuana smoking China tombs. [National Geographic]↩
- Ancient burial suggests ritual use of cannabis in western China. [The Wild Hunt]↩
- Chemical analysis reveals early ritual cannabis smoking in the eastern Pamirs by 2500 years ago. [NCBI]↩
- Pass The Brazier: Early Evidence Of Cannabis Smoking Found On Chinese Artifacts. [NPR]↩
- Ancient burial suggests ritual use of cannabis in western China. [The Wild Hunt]↩
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