Emily Chan
Experts were able to date the animal bone container based on the styles of the ceramics and the brooch.
Additionally, the seeds support historical texts that mentioned the use of black henbane during the Roman period.
The plants were used medicinally in the form of ointments and potions. They were prescribed for various ailments, such as toothaches, earaches, stomach pains, and flatulence.
An ancient Roman author who lived from A.D. 23 to 79, Pliny the Elder, wrote about how consuming too much black henbane could cause “insanity and giddiness.” He advised physicians to avoid it entirely.
“Our study contributes to the discussion of how to distinguish between a weed naturally ending up in the archaeobotanical assemblages and a plant intentionally used by people,” said Groot.
“We argue that future finds of black henbane should be studied by taking into account the context of the find and its relation to other medicinal plants.”
