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 Mesopotamia.It 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(tǒng)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 werentused merely to satisfy hedonistic motives, a new study suggests. Whats 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于宗教儀式，而不是僅用來滿足人們享樂。更重要的是，考慮到這些物質(zhì)神圣的角色，它們的使用幾乎是受到高度控制的，僅供給于杰出公民。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(jù)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(zhì)的古代歷史。例如，希臘歷史學(xué)家希羅多德曾經(jīng)描述斯基泰（伊朗馬術(shù)部落）葬禮的凈化儀式中涉及大麻，而這可追溯到公元前第五世紀。But written records arent the onlyindication of early drug and alcohol use.但是文字記錄并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.“人們普遍認為，改變意識的物質(zhì)，或者說是藥物，是一個現(xiàn)代議題，但如果我們看看歐洲史前考古記錄，這兒有很多數(shù)據(jù)可以證明他們的假設(shè)，”該研究的作者西班牙巴利亞多利德大學(xué)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(shù)描繪，例如，巨石墓里的一些設(shè)計可能會激發(fā)人們改變意識形態(tài)。”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.盡管有許多跡象表明，考古學(xué)家已經(jīng)在很大程度上忽略了歐亞史前使用改變思想的物質(zhì)。所以格拉-多西決定整理科學(xué)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(jù)：含有精神活性植物的大化石，發(fā)酵的酒精飲料殘留物，文物和遺骨的活性生物堿（化合物）以及精神活性植物和飲用場景的藝術(shù)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, its 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(xué)家已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)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(zhì)，決定人們使用這些物質(zhì)的可能性并不大。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(fā)現(xiàn)，許多藥用植物的遺骸，而這墳?zāi)箤儆谝粋€薩滿的。但是其他科學(xué)家認為，一種長爪沙鼠類的嚙齒類動物，名叫波斯沙鼠可能在尼安德特人死了后，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(fā)現(xiàn)并提供了強有力的證據(jù)，證明在史前時期人們使用過改變意識的物質(zhì)。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(xué)家們在一些墳?zāi)估锇l(fā)現(xiàn)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(chǎn)生花粉，授粉的種子生產(chǎn)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(jīng)意識到這一點，因此，他們?nèi)紵菩灾参铮备窭?多西對生活科學(xué)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(fā)酵飲料都產(chǎn)自于乳制品。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(fā)酵的發(fā)現(xiàn)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(qū)，科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)一個設(shè)備齊全的酒廠——他們認為酒是用來墓葬的，因為釀酒廠有20座葬墓群，墳?zāi)估锒加芯票mportantly, 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，盡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(shù)的殘留物來自墓地。“許多墳?zāi)沽粲芯凭嬃虾退幬锏倪z跡，”格拉-多西說，”我認為這些物質(zhì)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 thePoppy 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(shù)再現(xiàn)也暗示了史前時期藥物和酒精用于禮儀場合。一個最明顯的項目可能是一個30英寸（76厘米）高的陶瓦小雕像，被譽為“罌粟女神。”這個小塑像發(fā)現(xiàn)于克里特島（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(jīng)被提取，而雕像顯示了一個安詳?shù)谋砬椋恍＜医忉尀檫@是鴉片煙吸入后的恍惚狀態(tài)。Only for the elite?只面向精英？Guerra-Doces 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(zhì)可能是給精英保留的。” 支持這個想法的主要證據(jù)來是考古信息，他們已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)：高官的墳?zāi)购拖拗苾x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(xué)家在上層階級的墳?zāi)估锇l(fā)現(xiàn)的阿片類藥物活性生物堿。同樣，在另一個地區(qū)的西班牙豪華墓地中發(fā)現(xiàn)了致幻生物堿莨菪堿的證據(jù)，而這些堿屬于茄科植物。Alcohol also seems to have been mainly forthe upper class. One of the most impressive examples comes from the so-calledHochdorf Chieftains Grave in Germany— a Celtic burial chamber for a 40-year-old man that dates to around 530 B.C.In the princely tomb, researchers found an enormous bronze cauldron from Greece thatcontained 350 liters (92 gallons) of mead.酒精也似乎是主要為上層階級服務(wù)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?zāi)?--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(fā)現(xiàn)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 said.After large-scaleproduction became possible, alcohol likely became available to many people (notjust elites), and its use shifted from ritualistic to hedonistic in nature, sheadded.“我認為，大規(guī)模生產(chǎn)之前，[酒被保留用于特殊事件，植物藥也發(fā)揮了類似的作用，”格拉-多西說。在大規(guī)模生產(chǎn)成為可能時，酒精可能提供給許多人（不只是精英），其用途在性質(zhì)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，植物藥并沒有一個大規(guī)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(fā)現(xiàn)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為，魔鬼精神，有害影響，所以我認為一個禁忌是用來避免達到享樂目的的，”她說。