Archaeologists excavating a cluster of Scythian burial mounds (kurgans) in eastern Kazakhstan have discovered gold 'braziers' containing charred remains of cannabis seeds and resin. The kurgans, belonging to the Saka nobility of the 5th century BCE, provide the first archaeological confirmation of Herodotus' accounts of Scythian purification rituals.
The burials also contained exquisite 'Animal Style' gold ornaments and well-preserved felt textiles. The chemical analysis of the braziers suggests that the inhalation of hemp smoke was a central component of Scythian funerary and shamanistic practices, used to induce trance states during royal burials.