ABSTRACT
Bronze and Iron Age ring-kernoi found in eastern Mediterranean contexts have been interpreted as artifacts used for liquid libation. In this paper, I make the case that they were used for the ingestion of psychotropic substances in both liquid and smoke forms. First, I trace the temporal and geographical distribution of the ring-kernos and then examine the array of archaeological contexts in which ring-kernoi were found. Then, I attempt a reconstruction of how the vessel was used—how the liquid and smoke were ingested. The following section surveys the physical, chemical, iconographic and textual evidence for the ingestion of psychotropic substances in ancient western Asia and the eastern Mediterranean. In the final section, I discuss how ecstatic states were achieved and propose a short narrative scenario.
