Recent archaeological findings reveal that ancient Egyptians consumed a ritualistic drink made from a blend of fruits, nuts, psychedelics, bodily fluids, and alcohol.
In a groundbreaking discovery, published in Scientific Reports, scientists analyzed the organic residue inside a 2,000-year-old head-shaped drinking vessel, known as a Bes mug, which dates back to the Ptolemaic period (323 to 30 BCE).
Researchers from the University of South Florida partnered with Universities of Trieste and Milan in Italy, to identify the vessel’s ancient contents using a newly developed technique,
USF researcher Davide Tanasi told Science Daily, “There’s no research out there that has ever found what we found in this study.”
“For the first time, we were able to identify all the chemical signatures of the components of the liquid concoction contained in the Tampa Museum of Art’s Bes mug, including the plants used by Egyptians, all of which have psychotropic and medicinal properties,” Tanasi said, as quoted by news agency CNN.
“Religion is one of the most fascinating and puzzling aspects of ancient civilizations,” Tanasi added.
He further added that the study provides scientific evidence supporting the truth behind some Egyptian myths, offering valuable insights into the poorly understood rituals likely performed in the Bes Chambers at Saqqara, near the Great Pyramids of Giza.
Their analysis of the Bes mug uncovered traces of honey, sesame seeds, pine nuts, licorice, grapes, and ingredients that could induce altered states, including hallucinogenic substances and alcohol. This finding led Tanasi to believe that the mug was likely used in a magical ritual to connect with the life-affirming deity.
According to researchers, Bes mugs were used to honor the Egyptian god Bes, the God of fertility, healing and protection. Bes was described as someone with large eyes, a protruding tongue, a tail, and a feathered crown.
These ceremonial ceramic Bes mugs, including the one in the USF study, were widely used across Egypt from the 16th century BCE to the 5th century CE. However, the true purpose of these mugs has remained uncertain, as earlier theories were founded on widely accepted myths about Egyptian rituals.
“For a very long time now, Egyptologists have been speculating what mugs with the head of Bes could have been used for, and for what kind of beverage, like sacred water, milk, wine or beer,” said Branko van Oppen, curator of Greek and Roman art at the Tampa Museum of Art, as per CNN.
“Experts did not know if these mugs were used in daily life, for religious purposes or in magic rituals.”
He also explained that Egyptologists believe people visited the so-called Bes Chambers at Saqqara to confirm a successful pregnancy, as pregnancies in the ancient world were fraught with dangers.
They believe this combination of ingredients may have been used in a dream-vision inducing magic ritual, aimed at navigating the dangers associated with childbirth during that time.
“This research teaches us about magic rituals in the Greco-Roman period in Egypt,” Van Oppen said.