sansahansan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bernard Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > sansahansan Wrote:
> > -
> > >
> > > On a side note: Celery contains
> nicotine???
> >
> > I went back to check references and this is
> > probably wrong. The culprits are Solenacea
> >
> > Bernard
> >
> >
>
> I'm not sure from the above answers, but in a
> simple yes/no style, was it decisively proven to
> be African Solenacea?
>
>
>
> Otherwise, it doesn't really prove much, just
> provides a simpler/better Occams Razor response to
> the initial observation/conclusion.

quotes from Balabanova herself:

Balabanova, S., et al. 1993 “Was nicotine known in ancient Egypt?” Homo 44 (1): 92-94

p. 92 “Nicotine is the primary alkaloid of the tobacco plant, which belongs to the nightshade family. According to Theophrast, the plants of this family were known in antiquity (Theophrast 1882). More than 50 species of these plants contain nicotine. Nicotiana is the genus with the highest nicotine concentrations. The plants prosper in warm climate, in tropics and subtropics.
. . .
Consequently, it is possible that nicotine was inhaled during fumigation with nicotiana plant but also with other plants containing the alkaloid. E.g. nicotine as a secondary alkaloid is present in Withania somnifera, nightshade family, also in plants of other families as e.g. Zynnia elegans, family compositae, in the leaves of prunus ceresus, family rosacea, etc (Hegnauer 1964, 1973). Withania somnifera was proved in garlands of the Tutankhamon mummy and in the sacred animal necropolis Saqqara (Hepper 1981, Keimer 1931). Fruits of the cherry (prunus ceresus) were found in the necropolis Hawara (Newbery 1890)."

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I actually found the celery reference !!!!!

Counsell, D. C. 2008 "Intoxicants in Ancient Egypt? Opium, nymphea, coca, and tobacco," pp. 195-215 In David, A. R. ed. Egyptian Mummies and Modern Science Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

p. 212 Nicotine Cartmell and Weems (2001) suggest a cut-off point of 2 ng/mg to distinguish between regular tobacco smokers and those exposed passively to smoke or ingesting nicotine in the diet, with level greater than 20 ng/mg being reported in previous studies on South American mummies. This is consistent with the range reported by Parsche et al. (1993) in modern addicts. It seems clear therefore that the nicotine founding Egyptian mummies is from a dietary source. The ubiquitous presence of nicotine in all populations tested, all dietary levels, supports the validity of these results.
Duke’s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Database lists twenty-three nicotine-containing plants in addition to tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). Of these, two- Withania somnifera and Apium graveolens- were known to the Egyptians (Manniche 1993), and the latter, celery, was the more likely to be used as food.
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Lending support for a dietary source is the fact that comparable (very low levels) were found in old specimens from China, Sudan, Egypt, Germany, medieval Germany, etc.

>
> Also, I'm still trying to figure out if it was
> granulated particles of sufficient nature to be
> positively identified, or if it was purely
> chemical analysis that resulted in the
> conclusions?
>
The finds in Rameses II were not chemically analyzed they were small fragments congruent with a tobacco wash.

Bernard