Blood, breast milk found in 2,000-year-old Egyptian cup used for psychedelic cocktails
Scientists found that a 2,000-year-old Egyptian mug contained a magical drink made from rare plants and human fluids for ancient rituals.
A professor at the University of South Florida has recently unravelled the mystery behind a 2,000-year-old Egyptian mug that was donated to the Tampa Museum of Art in 1984. The professor and his team analysed the inside of the mug and discovered that it once contained a psychedelic concoction, possibly used in a magical ritual.
The mug's top features the head of Bes – an ancient Egyptian god worshipped by many couples for fertility and childbirth. Scientists took a sample of tiny particles inside the mug and advanced DNA and chemical analysis revealed that the drink was, in fact, a “cocktail" made up of rare substances.
Drink used during ancient ritual
In a report, Fox News claimed that the beverage was a mix of medicinal and psychotropic substances like Syrian rue, blue water lily and cleome species which were mixed with honey, royal jelly, sesame seeds, pine nuts, oil from Mediterranean pine and liquorice to flavour the drink.
The drink even included human fluids, such as blood, breast milk and mucus in it and it was this presence of bodily fluids that led scientists to believe it was used in an ancient ritual.
Used to receive dreams from gods
“It was then a magical potion, meant to inebriate, satiate and induce hallucinations. At this point, we believe the psychotropic substances found in it were used for ‘incubation rituals’ connected with the cult of Bes. Incubation rituals are religious practices where people sleep in a sacred space to receive a dream from a deity, which may provide healing or an oracle," they said.
(Also read: Christopher Columbus' DNA to shed light on centuries-old mystery of his origin)
The mysterious mug is displayed at the iconic Tampa Museum of Art. Scientists are planning to Going conduct similar analysis on another Bes mug held at a museum in Amsterdam.
