Drug-Fueled Rituals and "Bastard Wars" of the Scythians

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

They ruled the vast grasslands of Eurasia for a thousand years, striking fear into the hearts of the ancient Greeks and Persians. But they left no cities or settlements behind, only massive grave mounds, called kurgans, from Mongolia to the Black Sea. The Greek historian, Herodotus, claimed the Scythians used a plant to produce smoke "that no Grecian vapour-bath can surpass … transported by the vapor, [they] shout aloud."

Gold Artifacts Tell Tale of Drug-Fueled Rituals and "Bastard Wars"

Vessels discovered in a Scythian grave mound contained traces of opium and marijuana, confirming the claim of an ancient historian.

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