As much as anything else, to study human development as a species one must understand human interactions with the world around them, and the animals and plants in it. From food to medicines to decoration, plants in particular have been used by humans since the dawn of time.
Indeed, many of the plants around us have been changed by this interaction, customized and adapted to suit human needs, tracing back millennia to when we first found a use for them.
And as a species, we certainly have a long-standing relationship with weed. Cannabis, in the form of hemp, was a robust and fast-growing source of fibers for making rope, as well as oil. Whether used this way or for other, more recreational purposes, it has been a part of human history for a very long time.
In fact, cannabis appears to have been first domesticated and used as far back as 12,000 years ago, and there is even proof of marijuana use in prehistoric societies. It was also not linked to a single society, as it is mentioned in the history of different regions across China, Eurasia, and the Middle East.
Buried With Your Stash
In a tomb discovered in 2016 in the Turpan Basin in China, archaeologists uncovered cannabis plants along with other funerary items. This marks the first time that full-sized cannabis plants have been found in a burial site.
While different cultures have widely differing burial customs, many are elaborate and many include things thought to hold significance with the dead. The Egyptians were famous for their elaborate, beautiful, and mysterious burial sites. And so it was with the ancient Chinese. Although these were different cultures, they shared a belief in some form of afterlife, and grave goods were provided for the dead to use in the next world.
However, the burial of cannabis plant, in fact 13 cannabis plants, found with the remains of a Caucasian male, is something unusual. The grave was of a man about 35 years of age. These plants were arranged across his chest in a diagonal position, and the man’s head was placed on a red pillow.
So, what significance did cannabis hold for the man, and the society that buried him? Why were the plants placed in that way? Researchers are not yet sure, but there are plenty of theories.
