But the archaeological evidence has, at various Scythian sites including those associated with the Pazyryk, produced physical evidence of cannabis — seeds, plant material — in ritual contexts.

The Ice Maiden’s tomb contained cannabis residue.

Whether this was personal medicine — there is evidence from her remains that she was in pain from her ailments — or ritual material, or both, is not established from the evidence alone.

The Scythian/Pazyryk use of cannabis appears to have been primarily ceremonial rather than casual, but the boundary between ceremonial pain relief and personal medicine in a culture where the spiritual and physical were not sharply divided may not have been meaningful.

The cannabis evidence adds to the picture of the Ice Maiden as a person whose burial reflected a rich ceremonial world — and potentially provides a more human dimension as well: a young woman who was seriously ill, in chronic pain, whose community provided her with what the ancient world offered for pain relief.