Xerxes I’s Alabaster Vase Reveals Ancient Opium Use in Daily Life
A 22-centimetre alabaster vase, once owned by Persian king Xerxes I, has uncovered new clues about ancient drug use. Scientists from Yale University found opiate residues inside the vessel, preserved for nearly 2,500 years. The discovery suggests narcotics played a routine role in daily life across the ancient Near East and Egypt.
The vase, inscribed in four languages—Akkadian, Elamite, Persian, and Egyptian—was dedicated to Xerxes I, whose empire stretched from the Indus Valley to the Nile. Its Demotic inscription notes a capacity of about 1,200 millilitres. Inside, researchers detected noscapine, hydrocotarnine, morphine, thebaine, and papaverine—compounds that confirm the presence of opium.
The study provides concrete evidence of opium’s role in ancient societies. The vase’s multi-lingual inscriptions and chemical traces offer a clearer picture of how narcotics were stored and used. Researchers now have stronger proof that these substances were part of everyday life over two millennia ago.
