For decades, Egyptologists were trying to pinpoint the particular use of Bes-mugs, a type of Egyptian vases shaped as the face of fertility god Bes, attested in different contexts, from the New Kingdom (16th–11th century BCE) to Greco-Roman period (30 BCE–476 CE).

Bes was a protective deity connected with magical healing, highly popular across Egypt’s social classes, while his cult was performed in private contexts, rather than in monumental temples during state led events. As places of worship dedicated exclusively to him come relatively late in Egyptian history (the so-called Bes Chambers of Saqqara are dated in the end of the Late/beginning of Ptolemaic eras), the evidence for rituals performed on his behalf is poor. A myth where he appears to drug an angry Goddess Hathor with a red colored cocktail of alcohol and plant-based narcotics, to stop her thirst for blood, allows for connecting him with rituals involving the use of psychotropics. Still, there was no physical evidence of the use of such substances in his cult, as an earlier study of the residue from twenty three such vessels was inconclusive regarding that matter: it had shown that in some cases these vessels contained dairy products but the analysis level was characterized as limited due to “protein degradation and extraction protocols”. However, now, a research team led by Prof. Davide Tanasi (University of South Florida), has produced the first physical evidence for the use of psychotropics by the Egyptians, by analyzing the remaining content of a 2nd c. BCE Bes mug from the Tampa Museum of Art.

The team led by Tanasi and formed by researchers from the Universities of South Florida (US), Trieste (Italy) and Milan (Italy), performed chemical and DNA analysis on a sample taken by scraping the Tampa Bes mug’s inner walls. As stated in the abstract of the study, published Open Access through Scientific Reports (13 November 2024), the team employed cutting-edge proteomics, metabolomics, genetics techniques, and synchrotron radiation-based Fourier Transformed Infrared microSpectroscopy (SR µ-FTIR) to characterize organic residues of the vase’s content.

In particular, the abstract states: “We successfully identified the presence of various functional, bioactive, psychotropic, and medicinal substances, shedding light on the diverse components of a liquid concoction used for ritual practices in Ptolemaic Egypt. Using LC-MS/MS with a new methodological approach, we identified key proteins and metabolites, enabling the identification of botanical sources, confirmed by genetic sequences. Our analyses revealed traces of Peganum harmala, Nimphaea nouchali var. caerulea, and a plant of the Cleome genus, all of which are traditionally proven to have psychotropic and medicinal properties. Additionally, the identification of human fluids suggests their direct involvement in these rituals. Furthermore, metabolomics and SR µ-FTIR analyses also revealed the presence of fermented fruit-based liquid and other ingredients such as honey or royal jelly. The identification of specific chemical compounds, such as alkaloids and flavonoids, provides insight into the psychoactive and therapeutic uses of these in ancient ritual practices”.

“This multidisciplinary study highlights the complexity of ancient cultures and their interactions with psychoactive, medicinal, and bioactive substances. These findings contribute to our understanding of ancient belief systems, cultural practices, and the utilization of natural resources, ultimately enhancing our knowledge of past societies and their connection to the natural world”, the team concludes.

Archaeology Newsroom