TAMPA, FLORIDA—According to a statement released by the University of South Florida, Davide Tanasi and his colleagues have identified evidence of hallucinogens in a 2,000-year-old mug shaped as the head of Bes, an ancient Egyptian god or guardian demon. It had not been known if such mugs were used in daily life, or if they were reserved for religious purposes or in magic rituals. “For the first time, we were able to identify all the chemical signatures of the components of the liquid concoction contained in the Tampa Museum of Art’s Bes mug, including the plants used by Egyptians, all of which have psychotropic and medicinal properties,” Tanasi said. In addition to the psychedelic drugs, scrapings from the mug contained bodily fluids, alcohol, honey, sesame seeds, pine nuts, licorice, and grapes, which may have made the liquid look like blood. Branko van Oppen of the Tampa Museum of Art suggested that the beverage may have been part of a ritual related to pregnancy and childbirth carried out in the Bes Chambers at Saqqara. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Scientific Reports. For more on the significance of Bes in Egyptian religion, go to "Ancient Tattoos: Faience Figurine and Bowl."
