The Study of Plant Residue in the Mongolian Smoking Pipe from the Collection of the State Museum of Oriental Art

Abstract

The study of the residue of a smoking pipe known as gaans (or “gansa”) dating to the early 20th century from the collection of the State Museum of Oriental Art provided an opportunity to identify the components of ‘smoking tobacco’ used in that period. The analysis of plant microfossils of the residue and comparative analysis with the shoot system of modern plants showed that tobacco was the main component of the smoking blend which also included poppy seed pods and wormwood leaves. The chemical and toxicological analysis using liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTOF-MS) identified alkaloids and metabolites (nicotine, nicotine-N-oxide, and nornicotine) contained in tobacco leaves and stems. Our analysis confirmed the presence of tobacco phytoliths in the analyzed smoking blend. The nitrogen and carbon isotopic compositions of the organic residue suggest that psychoactive plants such as wormwood which has a high isotopic ratio of nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) were mixed with the tobacco. The analysis showed that an anonymous smoker who lived in the early twentieth century blended tobacco and poppy seed pods with wormwood leaves to give it specific flavor and aroma. This blend catered to individual palates and preferences of the smoker or probably reflected cultural traditions of this individual. The study is important because it verified data obtained using three different methods.