Facts and Factoids in the Early History of the Opium Poppy

Abstract

In the biomedical literature, the belief that the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is a supposed Sumerian “plant of joy” persists. In this article, I review the mounting archaeological evidence showing that P. somniferum was domesticated in Europe during the Neolithic Age, probably because of the nutritional properties of its seeds. During the Late Bronze Age, the plant was ascribed symbolic meanings within religious and possibly ritual functions that endured from the Minoan civilization to the Roman imperial period. No evidence of the recreational use of opium poppy can be found during Mediterranean antiquity. Finally, I examine the reasons why the factoid regarding the Sumerian plant of joy persists in the biomedical literature despite the lack of evidence for it.