2500 Year old Marijuana Unearthed in Turpan Cemetery
Xinhuanet
January 23, 2007

URUMQI: Chinese archeologists recently announced that what is thought to be a shaman’s grave unearthed in Turpan, Xinjiang has been found to contain the world's oldest and most well-preserved specimens of marijuana.

In March 2003, archaeologists from the Turpan Cultural Relics Bureau and the Xinjiang Archaeological Research Institute excavated “Tomb No. 90” in “Area No. 1” and found a leather basket containing marijuana plants, branches and seeds. They also found a large wooden funerary basin in seriously damaged condition containing similar plant matter.

Turpan Research Institute post-doctoral researcher Jiang Hong'en said: "When unearthed in 2003, the marijuana was still green as if it had just been picked. The leaves, seeds, branches, and internal plant structures were all preserved perfectly. Compared with past discoveries in China and around the world, the level of preservation here is unprecedented."

Dr. Jiang Hong'en confirmed that researchers from the Kunming Institute of Botany were recently able to extract cannabinoid substances from the 2500-year old marijuana plants.

Li Xiao, director of the Turpan Cultural Relics Bureau said: "The mummy's peculiar dress indicates that he is a shaman and that the tomb was likely dedicated to him.” He theorizes that: "The marijuana was placed in the basin before being ground into powder and ingested to induce a frantic state. The marijuana was buried here in the tomb to be used by the shaman for both medicinal and hallucinogenic purposes."

Shamanism is a primitive religion that was extremely popular in areas north and south of the Tian Shan Mountains before the arrival of Buddhism in the 1st century CE. Shamanists believe in animism, and shamans participate in special dances to their gods. The shaman is able to convey the prayers and wishes of the people to the gods, and messages from the gods to the people.

In the original Chinese:
新疆吐鲁番洋海墓地出土了2500年前的大麻

新华网乌鲁木齐1月23日电 （记者毛咏 张鸿墀报道）中国考古专家近日表示，在新疆吐鲁番洋海墓地出土的萨满教巫师干尸陪葬品中发现的绿色植物，是迄今为止世界上保存最为古老且最完好的大麻标本。

２００３年３月，新疆文物考古研究所和吐鲁番地区文物局对洋海墓地进行抢救性发掘，在编号为一号墓地９０号墓的墓室中，考古人员发现一个皮编草篓，内有大麻的植物种子及小枝条等。墓室中还有一个大木臼中亦装有部分同样类型的植物，木臼底和下内腹已被磨得很薄，其一侧已经严重破损。

吐鲁番学研究院在站博士后蒋洪恩说：“２００３年出土的时候，大麻叶片竟然还是绿色的，仿佛刚采摘的一样，这些大麻的叶片、果实及小枝条，连同内部结构都完整的保存下来，在中国甚至世界上已知考古发现中都没有比这保存得更完好的。”

蒋洪恩博士证实，昆明植物研究所研究人员近期从这２５００年前的“绿色植物”中提取出大麻酚。

吐鲁番地区文物局局长李肖博士说：“我们根据干尸奇特的服饰判断这个墓室中的主人可能是当时的萨满教巫师。”他推测说，“这些大麻很可能是在这个木盆中先被研磨成粉，然后被墓主服用以获得癫狂状态，大麻的致幻作用和药用价值成为墓主人保存这些大麻的目的。”

萨满教是一种原始宗教，在佛教东传（公元１世纪前后）以前，萨满教在新疆天山南北盛行。萨满教相信万物有灵，萨满教巫师即跳神之人的专称，他可以将人的祈求、愿望转达给神，也可以将神的意志传达给人。