Ancient Moroccan Medicinal Herb: Clever Usage 15,000 Years Ago

A fascinating new find from Morocco is set to change how we view ancient medicinal practices and the history of human medicine. Proof of medicinal herb usage has been gleaned from the Grotte des Pigeons Cave in Tafoughalt, going back 15,000 years! Subject of a new study, the researchers indicate that ancient inhabitants in the area likely used plants and herbs like Ephedra, used popularly in traditional Chinese medicine for asthma, bronchitis, hay fever, and colds.

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Ephedra: The Magic Cure for Traditional Medicine

The findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, analyzed exceptionally preserved macrofossils found in this northeast Moroccan cave in archaeological layers from the Late Pleistocene (roughly 130,000 years ago – 11,700 years ago). Incidentally, this site, discovered for the first time in 1908, is North Africa’s oldest cemetery, home to at least 34 Iberomaurusian skeletons from the later Stone Age.

This current state of preservation is miraculous in many ways, considering that archaeological evidence for the use of plants is almost negligible “due to the poor preservation and fragility of seed, fruit, and other botanical macro-remains”, wrote the researchers.

“Plants discovered match the Ephedra species, whose fruits were unearthed in an area of the cave dedicated for burials following specific rituals, widespread among human groups in the Stone Age, especially from 22,000 to 7,000 years ago”, the National Institute of Archaeological and Heritage Sciences (INSAP) pointed out in a press release by Moroccan Press Agency (MAP).

Ephedra, in general, is a well-known medicinal plant, and this new find and timeline place it as currently the oldest usage of ephedra of anywhere in the world. Rich in medicinal compounds, ephedra contains alkaloids like ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, useful for relieving congestion, stimulating the nervous system, and treating other ailments.

Incidentally, earlier excavations conducted between 2005 and 2015 from the Pigeon cave reveal layers of burials – young adults, infants, and one adult’s human skull all traced to the Iberomaurusians, a group of hunter-gatherers who lived in Morocco around 15,000 years ago. They were renowned for their elaborate burial practices, reports Archaeology Mag.

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A drawing shows the placement of Individual 14’s bones, artifacts, and Ephedra cone bracts within the burial pit, alongside a photo of archaeological Ephedra bracts. (Morales, J. et al., Sci Rep (2024)

The skull in question showed evidence of a surgery called trepanation, dating back 15,000 years, and widely considered the oldest such example in the world. In fact, the plant’s fruit remains were found in a specific area of the cave, that could have been used for special funerary rituals.

Alleviating Distress and Pain: Trepanation and Avulsion

Direct radiocarbon dating reveals this was contemporaneous and thus, it was likely that ephedra was used to stop haemorrhaging and alleviating the distress and pain of the patient, reports Arkeonews.

“Studies have shown that the hole caused by trepanation healed, meaning that the person who ‘underwent the surgery’ survived and was able to overcome its aftermath thanks to the use of this type of plant,” the researchers explained.

Head researcher and INSAP’s director, Dr. Abdeljalil Bouzouggar explained that this site is also famous for a ritual involving tooth extraction, also known as dental avulsion. This was likely a rite of passage pulling out incisors of both boys and girls from puberty to adulthood, unimaginably painful in its execution.

The pain and bleeding associated with tooth avulsion might have been alleviated by Ephedra’s medicinal properties, showing that this herb weaved itself into the social fabric and cultural customs of these ancient communities.

All in all, it seems clear that human beings had an advanced capacity to utilize herbs for medicinal use.

“This does not rule out the possibility of their use in burial rituals, but the discovery confirms that human groups in the Pigeons cave in Taforalt had precise knowledge of various uses of plants 15,000 years ago, i.e. some 8,000 years before the Neolithic period,” conclude the researchers.

Top image: The cave of Taforalt in Morocco. Source: Public Domain

By Sahir Pandey