Archaeologists have long been fascinated by Bes mugs—small bowls shaped like the head of an Egyptian protector deity. These rare artifacts, preserved in museums and storage facilities, have sparked questions about their purpose in ancient society. Were they used in everyday life or reserved for special rituals? Most intriguingly, what did the Egyptians drink from them, especially given their small size?
A team of researchers has now uncovered surprising answers, revealing how and with what the ancient Egyptians may have intoxicated themselves during ceremonial rites.
What were these mugs used for? Bes, a deity in Egyptian mythology, was worshipped as a protector and associated with fertility and healing.
Not many of these vessels have survived, but those that have, such as one donated to the Tampa Museum of Art in 1984, have prompted much speculation. Found in varied archaeological contexts, these mugs have puzzled experts attempting to deduce their use.
From speculation... “For a very long time, Egyptologists have speculated on what mugs with the head of Bes were used for and what kind of beverage they held, such as sacred water, milk, wine, or beer,” Branko van Oppen, curator of Greek and Roman art at the Tampa Museum of Art, said.
Some experts hypothesized that the mugs served as simple household vessels, while others believed they played a role in magical rituals.
… to science. Egyptologists had several theories about their use, but a recent study published in Scientific Reports offers groundbreaking insights, using scientific analysis to unravel their mystery. The study focused on a 2,000-year-old Bes mug preserved at the Tampa Museum of Art.
The experts’ method was relatively simple, at least on paper. Researchers scraped samples from the mug’s interior and used advanced analytical techniques, including chemical and DNA testing, to identify its contents. Experts from the Universities of South Florida (USF), Trieste, and Milan participated in the process.
A heady, unexpected cocktail. The results were astonishing. They shed light on the use of these bowls, the Egyptians, and their ritual ceremonies.
The small mug—measuring just 1.77 inches and holding 4.2 fluid ounces—had already led archaeologists to speculate that the Egyptians used it for potent concoctions, akin to ancient shot glasses. However, the analysis revealed far more than anticipated: The mug once held a cocktail made from a highly unusual recipe.
And what was the recipe? The analysis revealed an alcohol base, flavorings, human bodily fluids, and psychedelic drugs. CNN suggests that the Egyptians may have used beer or wine as the base. In addition, the Egyptians may have altered the flavor of this base with honey, royal jelly, sesame seeds, pine nuts, licorice, and grapes. These ingredients may have enhanced the flavor and given the drink a blood-like appearance. Additionally, the mix included Egyptian blue water lily and Syrian rue, plants known for their hallucinogenic, medicinal, and sedative properties.
There’s more. The analysis also identified cleome, a plant known for its ability to induce childbirth. Perhaps the most striking ingredient, however, is the presence of human fluids. Which ones? The study points to a mixture of blood, breast milk, and mucus, possibly from vaginal, nasal, or salivary secretions. Researchers believe these fluids were deliberately included in the concoction for their symbolic or ritualistic significance.
Opening doors. “There’s no research out there that has ever found what we found in this study,” Davide Tanasi, the study’s lead author and a professor at the USF, claims. “For the first time, we were able to identify all the chemical signatures of the components of the liquid concoction contained in the Tampa Museum of Art’s Bes mug, including the plants used by Egyptians, all of which have psychotropic and medicinal properties.”
USF goes on to claim that experts have never found traces of hallucinogens in an Egyptian mug before, confirming ancient myths about their rituals and written references.
What did the Egyptians use Bes mugs for? Under what circumstances did they ingest this peculiar cocktail of alcohol, hallucinogenic, and medicinal herbs and liquids? Tanasi believes the drink had a specific ceremonial use. According to USF, this concoction was likely used in magical rituals with mythological significance, probably for fertility.
Van Oppen highlighted the importance of studying magical practices from Egypt’s Greco-Roman period, particularly those involving Bes. “Egyptologists believe people visited Bes Chambers at Saqqara to seek confirmation of successful pregnancies, a period fraught with danger in the ancient world. This combination of ingredients may have been used in a dream-vision-inducing ritual to aid during childbirth,” he explained.
A breakthrough discovery. “We were surprised by the complex recipe of the concoction and shocked by the discovery (of) the human fluids that added a new religious/magical angle,” Tanasi said. “The identified substances would likely have induced dream-like visions, heightened meditative states, and possibly euphoria.”
Future studies will determine whether the findings from the Tampa artifact reflect broader practices or if Bes mugs served diverse roles in ancient Egyptian rituals.
Images | Andrew Moore | USF
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