For years archaeologists have linked a type of ancient vessels found in the eastern Mediterranean area with the use of opiates. In a recent study published in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s journal Analyst and funded by the National Environmental Research Council (NERC) this link is verified.
Researchers at the University of York in collaboration with the British Museum have discovered traces of opiates preserved inside a vessel from -known as ‘base-ring juglet’. These vases, when inverted resemble the seed head of the opium poppy.
The vase dates back to the Late Bronze Age, circa 1650 – 1350BC and had since its discovery been housed in the British Museum.
Using instruments in the University of York’s Centre of Excellence in Mass Spectrometry at the researchers found that the juglet residue was mostly composed of a plant oil but hinted at the presence of opium alkaloids, a group of organic compounds derived from the opium poppy.
The vase has been found and kept sealed, allowing the contents inside to be preserved; presenting a rare opportunity for scientists to conduct a conclusive analysis, Kathimerini reports.
Meanwhile, Dr Rachel Smith developed a new analytical method as part of her PhD at the University’s Department of Chemistry.
“The particular opiate alkaloids we detected are ones we have shown to be the most resistant to degradation, which makes them better targets in ancient residues than more well-known opiates such as morphine,” she said.
“We found the alkaloids in degraded plant oil, so the question as to how opium would have been used in this juglet still remains. Could it have been one ingredient amongst others in an oil-based mixture, or could the juglet have been re-used for oil after the opium or something else entirely?”
The university’s Chair of Analytical Science in the Department of Chemistry, Professor Jane Thomas-Oates believes that the juglet is significant in revealing important details about trade and the culture of the period.
“We were able to establish a rigorous method for detecting opiates in this kind of residue, but the next analytical challenge is to see if we can succeed with less well-preserved residues,” she said “so it was important to us to try and progress the debate about what it might have been used for”.