醉酒的起源:毒品和酒精最初用於宗教儀式

Origins of Inebriation Revealed
揭示醉酒的起源

This cuneiform text dates back to the 6th year ofprince Lugalanda who ruled about 2370 B.C. in southern Mesop is an administrative document concerning deliveries of three sorts of beer to different recipients
這種楔形文字的歷史可以追溯到公元前2370年左右，王子盧加爾安達在美索不達米亞南部統治的第六年。它是一種行政文書，將三種啤酒傳遞到不同的人手中。

In prehistoric Eurasia,drugs and alcohol were originally reserved for ritual ceremonies, and weren'tused merely to satisfy hedonistic motives, a new study suggests. What's more,given the sacred role of the substances, their use was likely highly regulatedand only available to elite citizens.
一項新的研究表明，在史前的歐亞大陸時期，毒品和酒精的最初用於宗教儀式，而不是僅用來滿足人們享樂。更重要的是，考慮到這些物質神聖的角色，它們的使用幾乎是受到高度控制的，僅供給於傑出公民。

Many Eurasian cultures are known to have anancient history with psychoactive substances, as evidenced by early writtendocuments. The Greek historian Herodotus, for example, once described theScythians' (Iranian equestrian tribes) post-funeral purification ceremonyinvolving hemp, which dates back to the fifth century B.C.
據早期的書面文件證明，許多歐亞文化是已公認擁有一種精神活性物質的古代歷史。例如，希臘歷史學家希羅多德曾經描述斯基泰（伊朗馬術部落）葬禮的淨化儀式中涉及大麻，而這可追溯到公元前第五世紀。

But written records aren't the onlyindication of early drug and alcohol use.
但是文字記錄並不是早期使用藥物和酒精的唯一痕跡。

"It is generally thought thatmind-altering substances, or at least drugs, are a modern-day issue, but if welook at the archaeological record of prehistoric Europe, there are many datasupporting their consumption," said study author Elisa Guerra-Doce, aprehistory expert at the University of Valladolid in Spain. "Apart fromthe presence of macrofossil remains of plants with these [mind-altering]properties, there are artistic depictions of opium poppies, for instance, andsome designs in megalithic tombs may have been inspired by altered states ofconsciousness."
“人們普遍認爲，改變意識的物質，或者說是藥物，是一個現代議題，但如果我們看看歐洲史前考古記錄，這兒有很多數據可以證明他們的假設，”該研究的作者西班牙巴利亞多利德大學史前史專家艾麗莎·格拉-多西說道，“除了存在改變意識的植物化石，還有對罌粟的藝術描繪，例如，巨石墓裏的一些設計可能會激發人們改變意識形態。”

Despite numerous indications,archaeologists have largely overlooked the use of mind-altering substances inEurasian prehistory. So Guerra-Doce decided to sort through the scarce andscattered information in the scientific literature, in hopes of gaining abetter understanding of the history and context of ancient drug and alcoholuse.
儘管有許多跡象表明，考古學家已經在很大程度上忽略了歐亞史前使用改變思想的物質。所以格拉-多西決定整理科學文獻中稀少且分散的信息，以更好地理解歷史和古老藥物酒精使用的文本信息。

She reviewed four lines of evidence:macrofossil remains of psychoactive plants, residues from fermented alcoholicdrinks, psychoactive alkaloids (chemical compounds) on artifacts and skeletalremains, and artistic depictions of psychoactive plants and drinking scenes.
她回顧了四條證據：含有精神活性植物的大化石，發酵的酒精飲料殘留物，文物和遺骨的活性生物鹼（化合物）以及精神活性植物和飲用場景的藝術描寫。Widespread use
廣泛使用

In prehistoric sites throughout Europe, archaeologists have found the remains of numerouspsychoactive plant and fungi species, including opium poppy, deadly nightshade,hallucinogenic mushrooms and ergot fungus. However, it's not always possible todetermine how people used the substances, if they did at all.
在整個歐洲的史前遺址上，考古學家已經發現許多精神活性植物和真菌物種的遺址，包括鴉片罌粟，顛茄，致幻蘑菇和麥角菌。然而，如果人們都使用這種物質，決定人們使用這些物質的可能性並不大。

For instance, at a Neanderthal burial caveat Shanidar, in northern Iraqdating to around 60,000 B.C., researchers discovered the remains of manymedical plant species, suggesting the grave belonged to a shaman. But otherscientists argue that a gerbil-like rodent called the Persian jird may havebrought the plants into the cave after the Neanderthal there had died.
例如，追溯到公元前60000年前，在伊拉克北部的一個尼安德特人沙尼達爾墓穴中，研究人員發現，許多藥用植物的遺骸，而這墳墓屬於一個薩滿的。但是其他科學家認爲，一種長爪沙鼠類的齧齒類動物，名叫波斯沙鼠可能在尼安德特人死了後，將植物帶進洞穴。

Yet many archaeobotanical finds providestrong evidence for the prehistoric use of mind-altering substances. Inparticular, at an archaeological site near Bucharest, Romania,scientists found charred Cannabis seeds from plants in some tombs. The mainpsychoactive compound of marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol(THC), which is mostabundant in the female plants (Cannabis plants are typically either male orfemale, with male plants producing pollen that pollinates the seed-producingflowers of the female plant)."The presence of burnt seeds in these tombsproves that the prehistoric societies of eastern Europe were aware of this, andconsequently, they burnt female plants," Guerra-Doce told Live Science.
然而許多大型植物劑被發現並提供了強有力的證據，證明在史前時期人們使用過改變意識的物質。特別是，在羅馬尼亞布加勒斯特附近的一個考古遺址上，科學家們在一些墳墓裏發現了燒焦的大麻種子植物。大麻的主要活性化合物是四氫大麻酚（THC），這是最豐富的雌性植物（大麻植物通常是雄性或雌性，與雄性植物產生花粉，授粉的種子生產雌性花植物），“在這些墓葬中存在的燒焦種子證明了東歐的史前社會已經意識到這一點，因此，他們燃燒雌性植物，”格拉-多西對生活科學說道。

Alcoholic residues suggest many prehistoricEurasians drank fruit wines, mead, beer (from barley and wheat) and fermenteddrinks made from dairy products.
酒精殘留物暗示了許多史前歐亞的水果酒，蜂蜜酒，啤酒（大麥和小麥）和發酵飲料都產自於乳製品。

The discovery of alcoholic fermentationappears to date back to about 7000 B.C. in China. By 5000 B.C., people in theZagros Mountains of northwestern Iran drank wine instilled with pineresin (for its preservative or medicinal properties). And at a site insoutheastern Armeniadating to 4000 B.C., scientists unearthed a fully equipped winery — they thinkthe wine was made for mortuary practices, considering there were 20 burialgraves, which contained drinking cups, next to the winemaking facility.
在中國酒精發酵的發現原理可追溯到大約公元前7000年前。公元前5000年，在伊朗西北部的扎格羅斯山脈的人們在喝酒時逐漸滴入松樹樹脂（以達到防腐劑或藥用性能的效果）。追溯到公元前4000年，在亞美尼亞東南部的一地區，科學家發現一個設備齊全的酒廠——他們認爲酒是用來墓葬的，因爲釀酒廠有20座葬墓羣，墳墓裏都有酒杯。

Importantly, though some pottery fragmentscontaining residues of beer and wine come from settlements, most actually comefrom burial sites. "Many tombs have provided traces of alcoholic drinksand drugs," Guerra-Doce said. "I think these substances were used toaid in communication with the spirit world."
重要的是，儘管一些瓷器碎片含有殖民地啤酒和葡萄酒的殘留物，然而，大多數的殘留物來自墓地。“許多墳墓留有酒精飲料和藥物的遺蹟，”格拉-多西說，”我認爲這些物質是用來幫助精神世界交流的。”

Some artistic representations also hint atceremonial drug and alcohol use in prehistory. One of the most revealing itemsmay be a 30-inch-tall (76 centimeters) terracotta figurineknown as the"Poppy Goddess." The figurine, found in an almost 3000-year-old cultchamber in Crete, depicts a bare-breastedwoman with upraised arms and a head bearing three movable hairpins shaped likepoppy capsules. Certain features of the capsules suggest how opium may havebeen extracted, and the figurine displays a serene facial expression, whichsome experts interpret as depicting a trancelike state gained from inhalingopium fumes.
一些藝術再現也暗示了史前時期藥物和酒精用於禮儀場合。一個最明顯的項目可能是一個30英寸（76釐米）高的陶瓦小雕像，被譽爲“罌粟女神。”這個小塑像發現於克里特島（希臘）的祭祀場所，已有大約3000年得歷史，描繪了一個坦胸露乳的女人，她高舉雙手，頭上插了三根像罌粟殼似的可移動簪子。膠囊的某些功能暗示了鴉片可能已經被提取，而雕像顯示了一個安詳的表情，一些專家解釋爲這是鴉片煙吸入後的恍惚狀態。

Only for the elite?
只面向精英？

Guerra-Doce's analysis further suggeststhat psychoactive substances may have been reserved for the elite. "Themain evidence to support that idea is the archaeological contexts where theyhave been found: tombs of high-status individuals and restricted ceremonialplaces," she said.
格拉-多西的分析進一步表明，精神活性物質可能是給精英保留的。” 支持這個想法的主要證據來是考古信息，他們已經發現：高官的墳墓和限制儀式的地方，”她說。

For example, at a Bronze Age cemetery insoutheastern Spain,archaeologists have found psychoactive alkaloids of opiates in tombs of theupper class. Similarly, a luxurious tomb in another area of Spain containedevidence of the hallucinogenic alkaloid hyoscyamine, which comes from thenightshade family of plants.
例如，在西班牙東南部的一個青銅時代墓地，考古學家在上層階級的墳墓裏發現的阿片類藥物活性生物鹼。同樣，在另一個地區的西班牙豪華墓地中發現了致幻生物鹼莨菪鹼的證據，而這些鹼屬於茄科植物。

Alcohol also seems to have been mainly forthe upper class. One of the most impressive examples comes from the so-calledHochdorf Chieftain's Grave in Germany— a Celtic burial chamber for a 40-year-old man that dates to around 530 the princely tomb, researchers found an enormous bronze cauldron from Greece thatcontained 350 liters (92 gallons) of mead.
酒精也似乎是主要爲上層階級服務的。其中最引人注目的例子是來自所謂的侯赫多爾夫的酋長的墳墓---追溯到公元前530年左右，一個40歲凱爾特男子的墓室。在王侯墓前，研究人員發現了一個巨大的希臘青銅鼎，其含有350公升（92加侖）的酒。

"I think that prior to a large-scaleproduction, [alcoholic drinks] were reserved for special events, and theyplayed a similar role as drug plants," Guerra-Doce r large-scaleproduction became possible, alcohol likely became available to many people (notjust elites), and its use shifted from ritualistic to hedonistic in nature, sheadded.
“我認爲，大規模生產之前，[酒被保留用於特殊事件，植物藥也發揮了類似的作用，”格拉-多西說。在大規模生產成爲可能時，酒精可能提供給許多人（不只是精英），其用途在性質上說是從儀式到享樂主義，她補充說道。

Drug plants, on the other hand, were nevercultivated on a large scale. And though they were also eventually consumed forhedonistic purposes, this use is difficult to observe in the archaeological record,Guerra-Doce said. "Interestingly, the common names of some of these plantsrefer to madness, to evil spirits, to harmful effects, so I think a taboo wasimposed in order to avoid their use for hedonistic purposes," shesaid.
另一方面，植物藥並沒有一個大規模栽培。雖然他們也最終是達到享樂主義的目的，但是這是很難在考古記錄中發現的，格拉-多西說。“有趣的是，這些植物中的一些的共同名字指的是瘋狂行爲，魔鬼精神，有害影響，所以我認爲一個禁忌是用來避免達到享樂目的的，”她說。