Episode

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

Podcast: This Week in the Ancient Near East
Published: Feb 23, 2026
Duration seconds: 2293
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Summary

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!