According to National Geographic, archaeologists in Russia dug up some golden cups while clearing out an ancient burial mound before construction workers installed power lines. Upon investigation, “archaeologists found thick black residue in the bongs, and determined that they were used to smoke cannabis and opium in a ceremonial setting.” The bucket-like solid-gold artifacts are intricately detailed with battle scenes. Also found with the smoking devices were gold finger and neck rings.
They are thought to have been used by the Scythians, a “nomadic warrior race” who controlled a large area of Europe and Central Asia about 2400 years ago. Herodotus, the Greek historian who died in 425 BC, wrote that “Scythians used a plant to produce smoke that no Grecian vapour-bath can surpass which made them shout aloud.” Scythians were a wavy people.
It’s a stretch to categorize these as bongs, since they don’t appear to use water and are not pipes. They may have been used to brew a weed-and-opium drink. Or maybe they just inhaled hot-ass gold smoke from over an open bowl. Scythians, man. “They ‘fought to live and lived to fight’ and ‘drank the blood of their enemies and used the scalps as napkins,'” and they were high as fuck they did it. They were like ancient Hell’s Angels.
(Photo: National Geographic)
