Until now, archaeologists have puzzled over what the vessels with images of the protective god Bes, which were common in Ptolemaic and ancient Egypt, were used for. Now, analyzes of residues in one of these Bes vessels provide a possible answerword. Accordingly, these vessels once contained extracts of various plants with hallucinogenic and medicinal effects. This is the first chemical evidence of such substances in an Egyptian vessel and an indication that the Bes vessels were used as part of rituals.
The protective deity Bes gained increasing importance in the religious world of the Egyptians from the Ptolemaic era onwards. Initially seen as a kind of demon or guardian spirit, he was also worshiped as divine in ancient times. “Bes offered protection from danger, warded off harm and could prevent evil,” explain Davide Tanasi from the University of South Florida and his colleagues. For example, according to tradition, Bes stopped the wrath of the bloodthirsty goddess Hathor by putting her to sleep using a plant-based drug disguised as blood. In the Sakkara necropolis, this protective god was worshiped in special chambers from the New Kingdom onwards.
What were the Bes vessels used for?
During excavations in a wide variety of contexts, vessels decorated with the head of Bes were repeatedly discovered. Typical of his likeness is the mixture of dwarf-like, human features with attributes of cats or lions. These Bes vessels were widespread from the time of the New Kingdom around 1500 BC until the time of the Roman Empire. However, their widespread distribution makes it difficult to determine the function of these vessels. “Egyptologists have long speculated about what purpose these vessels served – whether they were used in everyday life, for religious purposes or in rituals,” says co-author Branko van Oppen of the Tampa Museum of Art.
Now chemical analyzes are providing the first insights into what was once in these Bes vessels. For their study, the researchers subjected a Bes vessel from around 200 BC stored in the Tampa Museum to a battery of chemical and genetic analyses. The focus was on samples of residue scraped from the inner wall of this vessel that had already been deposited there during the time the container was in use. “For the first time, we were able to identify the chemical signatures of the fluid that was once contained in this Bes vessel – something that has never been done before,” says Tanasi.
Ingredients of psychotropic plants
The analyzes revealed the chemical and genetic traces of several plants and plant ingredients that have psychotropic and medicinal effects. These include alkaloids and DNA fragments from steppe rue (Peganum harmala), a plant that grows in dry regions of the Mediterranean and is known to have hallucinogenic effects. “The seeds of this plant produce high concentrations of the alkaloids harmine and hamaline, which induce dream-like states and visions,” explain Tanasi and his team. Depending on the dosage, another ingredient can help with childbirth or be used for abortion.
The use of steppe rue for medicinal purposes can be traced back to the predynastic era of Egypt based on traditions and seed finds, as the research team explains. This plant is also well known in ritual contexts from Egyptian traditions. In some texts, the steppe rue is referred to as the “plant of Bes”. In the Bes chambers of Saqqara, the protective god is also referred to in graffiti as the “giver of dreams” or oracle giver, and texts describe rituals in these cult chambers in which people experienced prophetic dreams.
Hallucinogenic drink for ritual
But the steppe rue is not the only psychotropic plant whose remains Tanasi and his team have detected in the Bes vessel. They also found alkaloids and flavonoids from the star water lily (Nymphaea nouchali), which also has a psychotropic effect: “Some species of these water lilies are considered narcotic and sedative and have traditionally been used as medicine and for their intoxicating effects,” explain the researchers. They also detected DNA and ingredients from the African spider plant (Cleome gynandra). “This plant is particularly interesting because its fresh roots, taken orally, can promote labor,” said Tanasi and his team.
Overall, these finds prove that hallucinogenic and medicinal substances were administered or consumed in the Bes vessels. Traces of honey, sesame and licorice root also suggest that these plant extracts were part of a sweetened drink. Chemical degradation products from grapes also indicate that red grape juice could have been added to this liquid – possibly to make it look blood-like, according to the legend about Bes and Hathor. “With our analyses, we found scientific evidence that the Egyptian traditions of the Bes rituals had a real basis,” says Tanasi. “They help us to better understand what rituals were carried out in the Bes chambers of Saqqara.”
Source: University of South Florida; Specialist articles: Scientific Reports, doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-78721-8