A study of residues on an unprovenanced Bes-vase, possibly from the Fayum c. 2nd century BCE, identified psychotropic substances that suggest ritual use, incl. harmel, which can induce visions or childbirth/abortion, & has Bes-related names in various languages including bêsasa in Egypt today
@manonyschutz.bsky.socialIn case you are still looking for something to read this weekend: The article "Multianalytical investigation reveals psychotropic substances in a ptolemaic Egyptian vase" by Tanasi, van Oppen de Ruiter, et al. is published in open access and can be downloaded here:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Multianalytical investigation reveals psychotropic substances in a ptolemaic Egyptian vase - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Multianalytical investigation reveals psychotropic substances in a ptolemaic Egyptian vase