The Opium Trail from Egypt to Persia, or Putting Your Hope in Dope, Ancient Edition episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 23, 2026 · 38 MIN

The Opium Trail from Egypt to Persia, or Putting Your Hope in Dope, Ancient Edition

from This Week in the Ancient Near East · host thisweekintheancientneareast

The discovery of opium residues in an Egyptian alabaster jar with the Achaemenid king Xerxes’ name on it has us wondering. How stoned were they in the past? Was that why the jar ended up at Yale? Talk about a legacy admission!

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 23, 2026

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The Opium Trail from Egypt to Persia, or Putting Your Hope in Dope, Ancient Edition

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