Hemp is one of the oldest plants in the world and has been cultivated for over 10,000 years : it is, in fact, one of the first species “domesticated” by man and is still widespread today.
This success is certainly due to its versatility : the fiber is very resistant and suitable for different uses, just think that it was used to create fabrics by the Japanese and the Mongols even before the advent of silk and cotton. Furthermore, hemp seeds were considered very nutritious since ancient times and the resin had recognized medicinal properties.
What are the origins?
Hemp probably originated in deep China or in any case in the regions of Central Asia , where fragments of pottery depicting ropes made of this material have been found. Fragments of fabrics made from hemp fibres have also been found in Mesopotamia , in what is now Iraq.
The religious dimension of the plant should not be overlooked: in the ancient Hindu sacred text “Atharvaveda” the leaves of hemp are cited as a “sacred herb”, testifying to its diffusion also in the Indian subcontinent.
Hemp sativa certainly spread in Ancient Egypt around 1200 BC: in fact, hemp fibre cloths were found in the tomb of the Pharaoh Alchanate.
The Scythians spread hemp to modern Germany, while from 200 BC Greek historians wrote of the plant's benefits against inflammation, edema and earaches.
Probably due to the movements of nomadic tribes from Asia, hemp spread rapidly to Europe from 500 AD.
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