Ancient Warriors in Europe Used Stimulants During Battle, Study Claims

Researchers have found small, spoon-shaped tools attached to ancient warriors’ belts in northern Europe that they think might have been used to store special substances, such as stimulants, prior to battles.

Historians know that people in ancient Greece and Rome used drugs such as opium. Many writings and objects of the time confirm this. However, there is little evidence that people outside the Roman Empire used drugs. Most believe they mainly drank alcohol instead.

Now, a team led by archaeologist Professor Andrzej Kokowski and scientists from Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Poland has uncovered new clues. Their findings offer updated insights into these ancient practices.

Ancient warriors used stimulants to ease fear during war

Researchers studied 241 small, spoon-like tools from 116 archaeological sites in Scandinavia, Germany, and Poland. These sites, dating back to the Roman period, include marshlands and graves. The tools were found attached to men’s belts but didn’t serve any functional purpose for the belts themselves.

Each tool had a handle, usually 40 to 70 millimeters long, and a small bowl or flat disk, about 10 to 20 millimeters wide. They were always discovered alongside weapons and other war-related items. This connection suggests the tools might have been used to prepare or measure stimulants.

Experts believe stimulants were often used in history to help soldiers push themselves harder in battle. They might also have eased fear and stress during war. These tools may have helped warriors carefully measure doses to achieve the right effect without risking an overdose.

Professor Kokowski and his team also investigated what stimulants were available to Germanic communities at the time. They looked into plants that could be found locally or brought in from other regions in dried form.

Making stimulants from plants such as poppy, hemp, and more

The researchers concluded that Germanic communities likely had access to many substances that could act as stimulants. These included plants such as poppy, hops, hemp, henbane, and belladonna, as well as certain fungi.

These substances were probably consumed as liquids, often mixed with alcohol, or in powdered form.

The study suggests the use of these stimulants may have been widespread among Germanic warriors during conflicts in the Roman period.

The researchers also highlighted that the production and distribution of these stimulants would have required significant knowledge and organization, indicating a well-structured system behind their use.

According to the researchers, the stimulants were likely used off the battlefield, as well. They suggest the substances may have played a role in medicine and rituals.

“It seems that the awareness of the effects of various types of natural preparations on the human body entailed knowledge of their occurrence, methods of application and the desire to consciously use this wealth for medicinal and ritual purposes,” researchers noted.