Oldest Evidence of Cannabis Use

The question asks about the oldest evidence of cannabis use. Let's break this down step by step, considering the available sources.

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The provided sources point to several key findings regarding ancient cannabis use. The most significant discovery is the 2,700-year-old grave of a Caucasian shaman near Turpan, Xinjiang-Uighur Autonomous Region, China, which contained a large cache of cannabis.[1] This is considered the oldest documented evidence of cannabis as a pharmacologically active agent.[1]

The cannabis found in the Yanghai Tombs was analyzed using botanical examination, phytochemical investigation, and genetic analysis, confirming the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis, along with other metabolites.[1] The cannabis was likely used for medicinal or psychoactive purposes, or as an aid to divination.[1]

Other relevant findings include:

Further evidence comes from the Jiayi cemetery in the Turpan Basin, where a man was buried with a "shroud" made of 13 cannabis plants, dating back approximately 2,400 to 2,800 years ago.[2] The plants were placed diagonally across the man's chest, suggesting a ritualistic use.[2] The presence of immature fruits indicates the plants were harvested locally and buried in late summer.[2]

• The Yanghai cemetery, which also dates to the first millennium B.C., contained a large supply of processed cannabis flowers in a leather basket and a wooden bowl, suggesting psychoactive use.[2]
• Cannabis has been found in graves of the Pazyryk culture in southern Siberia, indicating ritualistic or psychoactive usage.[2]
• The Jirzankal Graveyard in Xinjiang, dating to 500 to 300 B.C.E., showed evidence of burnt cannabis in braziers, suggesting its use in burial rituals.[3]

The evidence suggests that cannabis use was widespread among Central Eurasian peoples during the first millennium B.C. for ritualistic and/or medicinal purposes.[2] The discovery of complete cannabis plants in the Jiayi burial is particularly significant, as it provides the first instance of their use as a "shroud" in a human burial.[2]

Summary of the Answer

The research indicates that the Gushi people, who spoke a now-extinct language called Tocharian, may have used cannabis for spiritual or medical purposes.[4]

The analysis of the cannabis from the Yanghai Tombs revealed that the plant material was from a cultivated strain, and the male plant parts, which are less psychoactive, had been removed before burial, suggesting the cannabis was grown for its psychoactive properties.[4]

The oldest documented evidence of cannabis use comes from the 2,700-year-old Yanghai Tombs near Turpan, China, where a shaman's grave contained a large stash of cannabis.[1]

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