The Proof is in the Bones
A new study reveals that ancient Romans stored black henbane seeds in a hollow bone. What might this medicinal plant have been used for?
Black henbane (Hyoscyamus niger, Solanaceae) is a potent medicinal and narcotic plant naitve to Eurasia and broadly distributed today across the globe. Finding remnants of this plant at archeological sites of NW Europe is not uncommon, but until now, there has not been much evidence of the intentional historic use of this plant. An exciting new study on a Roman site in the Netherlands reveals the discovery of a hollowed bone filled with black henbane seeds!
Groot M, van Haasteren M, Kooistra LI. Evidence of the intentional use of black henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) in the Roman Netherlands. Antiquity. Published online 2024:1-16. doi:10.15184/aqy.2024.5
Major Findings of the Study
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