Opium poppy - history OriginsThe Opium poppy was first grown in
the western Mediterranean, in the region of southern France and
Italy. There are archaeological finds in that area dating to
about 4000 BC. The Opium poppy was probably first grown for
food. The seed is rich in edible oil - always a precious
resource. Poppy cultivation spread to central Europe and to the
Aegean by 1000 BC. The Opium poppy was not known in ancient
Mesopotamia, and was probably not known in ancient Egypt.
However, by Roman times opium poppy had spread to Egypt. Both
Roman and Greek physicians did much to spread knowledge of
opium's medical uses. The Islamic worldOpium flourished in the
Arab world, as in Islam opiates were not proscribed in the same
way as alcohol. In the 7th century, the Islamic cultures of
western Asia had discovered that the most powerful narcotic and
medicinal effects could be obtained by igniting and smoking the
poppy's congealed juices. The history of opium poppy use is
relatively recent in South Asia. Arab tr