The accidental discovery in central China of the tomb of a Tang Dynasty (618-907) soldier in which remains of cannabis confirmed that the plant was one of the bases of the population's diet at that time, according to a new archaeological study.
The discovery, published Wednesday by the South China Morning Post, proves that during that period of peak Chinese civilization, cannabis was used not only for stimulants, medicinal and textiles, but also for nutritional purposes.
The tomb, belonging to cavalry captain Guo Xing, was located in 2019 during works in the courtyard of a primary school in Taiyuan (capital of the central province of Shanxi) and having been hidden for 1,320 years, appeared perfectly preserved and with mural paintings, intact objects and artifacts.
In one of the vessels with basic foods of the time traces of cannabis were found, including some seeds that still showed their original color and were almost twice their normal size. Researchers believe it is Cannabis sativa, a variety originating in Central Asia with a lower concentration of the psychotropic substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) than modern marijuana.
“The cannabis was stored in a jar placed in the coffin along with other staple grains such as millet. It’s obvious that Guo Xing’s descendants buried cannabis because it was an important food,” explained Jin Guiyun, a history professor at Shandong University and author of the scientific article in which the discovery is presented. According to Jin and the rest of the academics responsible for the research, cannabis "He was buried as food for feasting and good health" of the soldier in the afterlife, and the plant could have had during the powerful Tang empire more important than rice, of which there were no traces in the tomb. Since the 1980s, Chinese archaeologists have identified cannabis remains in tombs across the country—some more than 6,600 years old—but they believed that It was used only for ritual purposes to induce hallucinations at religious celebrations.
Although numerous historical texts suggested that this plant could have been a important source of foodThere was very little archaeological evidence to support this theory, the South China Morning Post notes.
It was also consumed for "religious and medical purposes"
The presence of seeds in the tomb also confirms that cannabis was used for purposes other than food, according to the publication. In fact, the researchers highlighted that the seed husks, which contain higher levels of THC, had not been removed, which may be because they protected the seed from mold and prolonged its preservation, but also because the shell was consumed "for religious and medical purposes," the article indicates.
Cannabis cultivation is illegal in China today., where marijuana has been banned since the 1950s and drug trafficking can even carry the death penalty. In recent years, the Chinese government has allowed the cultivation of "safe" cannabis varieties with low levels of THC but high levels of cannabidiol, a compound that is not addictive but has sedative effects. More widespread is the cultivation of hemp for textile purposes, with a notable increase in plantation areas in the last year, which reached 24,400 hectares at the end of 2019, according to the latest available official figures.
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