A corpse wrapped in cannabis plant has been discovered in a prehistoric tomb in China, suggesting that the plant could have been used in ritualistic practice during that period.

The body of a 35-year-old man was found wrapped in cannabis plants in the Jiayi cemetery at Turpan, northwest of China. The corpse was laying on a wooden bed with his head resting on a pillow made of reed. Thirteen cannabis plants, each about three feet long, were positioned diagonally on his chest.  The top of the plants brushed the surface of his face, while the roots covered his pelvis.

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Archaeologist and researcher, Dr. Hongen Jiang said that it was an extraordinary discovery, as the plants seem to have been arranged as a "burial shroud." The site is one of 240 graves unearthed in the Jiayi cemetery. They are linked to the Subeixi culture (also known as the Gushi Kingdom).

Jiang and his colleagues told the Independent that "This unique discovery provides new insight into the ritualistic use of cannabis in prehistoric central Eurasia."

While scientists have found cannabis seeds used in southern Siberia, this is the first time that they have recovered a complete set of cannabis plants. It is also the first time they have encountered the use of the plant in burial practices.

Scientists estimate that the tomb used to enclose the corpse was made about 2,400 and 2,800 years ago. National Geographic reported that the tomb is evidence that cannabis was widely used during the pre-historic period.