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Ancient Siberian Tomb Reveals Early Cannabis Use

Researchers dated the earliest known human cannabis use to 2,800 years ago, based on seeds and preserved hair from a Scythian burial mound.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Botany

Wide photograph of a grass-covered burial mound on an open Siberian steppe under pale sky, with a dirt path curving toward its base and hills on the horizon.
Researchers dated early human cannabis use to about 2,800 years ago after recovering more than 1,000 seeds and preserved hair from a Scythian burial mound in southern Siberia. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Archaeologists excavating Tunnug 1, a Scythian burial mound in southern Siberia, recovered more than 1,000 cannabis seeds and preserved human hair containing cannabinol. Radiocarbon analysis dated the seeds to the early eighth century B.C.E., making this the earliest known human cannabis use, according to findings published in Science.

Why it matters

The findings push back the timeline of human cannabis use by several centuries compared with the previous earliest evidence from eastern China. Together, the seeds and hair provide direct evidence that people consumed the plant in this region long before previously documented.

Radiocarbon analysis dated more than 1,000 cannabis seeds from Tunnug 1 to the early eighth century B.C.E., while charred remains from eastern China date to around 2,500 years ago. Preserved hair from the tomb contained cannabinol, a chemical produced from THC, but the study does not establish how much was consumed or the precise role the plant played in the ritual.

The players

Science

Science is a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science that published the findings on Tunnug 1.

The details

The cannabis was likely used in a burial ritual at Tunnug 1, a Scythian mound in southern Siberia dating to the eighth and ninth centuries B.C.E. Seeds and human hair recovered together provide direct evidence of human use, extending the record of cannabis consumption well beyond earlier findings.

Timeline

  1. Eighth and ninth centuries B.C.E.: Tunnug 1 burial mound was used by Scythian people.

  2. Early eighth century B.C.E.: Cannabis seeds in the tomb were radiocarbon dated.

  3. Around 2,500 years ago: Earlier charred cannabis remains were found in eastern China.

  4. At least 6,000 years ago: Humans began cultivating cannabis for agricultural reasons.

  5. November 5, 2026: New findings on Tunnug 1 were published in Science.

The Big Picture

The Tunnug 1 seeds and hair move the earliest confirmed human cannabis use back roughly 300 years beyond the charred remains from eastern China, which had previously set the benchmark at around 2,500 years ago. The discovery also reinforces that cannabis cultivation, which began at least 6,000 years ago, was tied to human activity across Eurasia far earlier than the eastern China evidence alone suggested.

For readers interested in the history of cannabis, the findings offer a clearer picture of how far back human use of the plant extends, which may inform future archaeological research on ancient plant use. The study does not directly change current cannabis products or regulations.

The takeaway

Evidence from burial sites can reveal plant use that leaves few traces elsewhere, and this find shows that human relationships with cannabis are older than previously documented. Continued excavation in Eurasia may refine that timeline further.

Further reading

For more on how plants have shaped human history, explore our Botany coverage.

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