04 June 2024 : Hugo Oliveira
The origins and cultural history of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.):
Genomics, Archaeology and Botany
The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) was one of the most important plant species in history, (in)famous for its mind-altering and painkilling properties. Its relevance for the modern world persists when we consider the opioid epidemics in the USA and the geopolitics of illicit drugs production and trade. Surprisingly, very little is known about its origins. Archaeological and botanical studies suggest it was the only major crop domesticated in Neolithic Europe and one of a few species cultivated for multiple purposes (i.e. narcotic properties, medicinal, seed oil and culinary).
Contested visual attestations place its first appearance in Sumerian and Minoan cultures, and yet the earliest poppy remains were recovered in western Mediterranean sites such as La Marmotta (Italy) and La Draga (Spain), dated to 5610–4717 BCE. These were associated with the first farmers of the Cardial pottery culture. Almost immediately afterwards, poppy seeds are also found in Linear Pottery Culture (LBK) sites in Central Europe (5200-5000 BCE).
Contested visual attestations place its first appearance in Sumerian and Minoan cultures, and yet the earliest poppy remains were recovered in western Mediterranean sites such as La Marmotta (Italy) and La Draga (Spain), dated to 5610–4717 BCE. These were associated with the first farmers of the Cardial pottery culture. Almost immediately afterwards, poppy seeds are also found in Linear Pottery Culture (LBK) sites in Central Europe (5200-5000 BCE).
This temporal proximity between poppy cultivation in the LBK and Cardial cultures is intriguing. One hypothesis is that the poppy was a weed of wheat and barley, introduced all over Europe by Anatolian farmers. Alternatively, it was initially domesticated in the western Mediterranean and moved into the LBK region, following existing networks. The subsequent routes of diffusion of poppy cultivation during late prehistory and classical antiquity remains unclear. Here, we present the results of a research consortium between the University of Algarve, the National Natural History Museum in Paris and the German Archaeological Institute in Berlin. The combination of genomic analysis, novel radiocarbon dating methods and geometric morphometry of seed remains, is uncovering the origins of this iconic plant species.
Hugo Oliveira is an associated researcher at ICArEHB. He has a degree in Biology from the University of Minho (Portugal) and obtained his master’s and PhD degrees in Archaeology, at Cambridge University (UK). His research focuses on the origins of plant domestication and the history of agriculture, combining crop genomics, archaeology, archaeobotany and conservation of heirloom varieties. He has investigated the origins and spread of wheat, barley, rye, lentil, fava beans and is currently working on the pre-history of opium poppy, oats and Ethiopian domesticates such as tef and finger millet.
