Overview

• Polish researchers analyzed 241 spoon-shaped artifacts found at 116 archaeological sites in Northern Europe, dating to the Roman period.
• The small spoons, often attached to warrior belts and found alongside weapons, are hypothesized to have been used for measuring stimulant doses.
• Possible substances available to Germanic tribes at the time included opium, cannabis, henbane, belladonna, and hallucinogenic fungi.
• The study challenges the assumption that ancient drug use was limited to Mediterranean civilizations like Greece and Rome.
• If confirmed, the findings could reveal a previously unknown aspect of wartime practices and economies in ancient Northern Europe.