October
22
/ 2025
Researchers analyzing an extremely rare Egyptian alabastron inscribed with the name of Persian ruler Xerxes I have discovered traces of opium within the ancient vessel, suggesting that the narcotic played a far more significant role in ancient Egyptian society than previously understood. The quadrilingual vase, housed in Yale University's Peabody Museum Babylonian Collection, represents one of fewer than ten intact inscribed alabaster vessels known worldwide - and marks the first time such a royal artifact has been scientifically analyzed to identify its contents. Published in the Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies, the research by the Yale Ancient Pharmacology Program provides the clearest evidence yet that opiates were widely consumed across different social classes in ancient Egypt, with
