The History of Hemp - Hemp: Industrial Production and Uses - page 8

We have good information for the Gallo-
Roman period. First, we know that the Romans
were familiar with hemp: one of their agrono-
mists, a man by the name of Columelle, detailed
the principles of its cultivation in his agronomic
treatise.
We also know, from findings on a boat
(from the first half of the 1st century AD ) discov-
ered in Marseille during archaeological digs
under the Bourse de Commerce , that rope
and caulking ('oakum') were made from hemp
tow mixed with a vegetable putty. The fibres of
this plant were also used in the manufacture of
bird aviaries.
Other evidence of hemp rope has been
recovered from the forts lining the Limes
Germanicus . The established cultivation of this
plant in Gaul from the 5th century AD was no
doubt made possible by its introduction with
Germanic immigrants. These people are
thought, in turn, to have received hemp from
Eastern Europe: the Silk Road, therefore, did
not assure the supply and movement of silk
alone.
And what of pieces of textile? Contrary to
what one might think, it is very difficult to
differentiate a piece of ancient flax cloth from
one made of hemp. Such cloth, if several
hundred years old, is difficult to identify with
any certitude, even under the microscope.
Archaeological experts have contradicted each
other on many occasions in their reports and
publications.
Textiles purported to be hemp have been
found in Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Greece
and Turkey. These all date from a period
approximately 2500 BC , while carbonized
remains have been uncovered in Spain (900-
700 BC ). That said, we should reiterate the
practical difficulties of differentiating hemp
from flax.
In a village in Switzerland, archaeologists
discovered a number of fragments of textile.
The material was identified as wool, of course,
together with some canvas. The specialist
investigations were very involved but concluded
that half of the material was made of flax, with
the remainder predominantly made of bark
from the lime tree. The inventory concluded:
'and finally we found a fine piece of cord . . .
made of hemp!'. 2

Was this piece of cord made locally? Was
it imported from another region? Even in pre-
historic times, commerce and the movement of
goods were well established and the beginnings
of today's trading routes were being formed.
So, it would appear that hemp has been
present and cultivated in Europe, particularly
central Europe, since at least 2000-1500 BC .
Where did this hemp come from?
Herodotus wrote that the Scythians and the
Greeks knew of hemp. The Scythians were a
people from central Asia who had contacts with
China. It is therefore possible to surmise that
they were able to introduce hemp into the areas
in which they lived. Seeds from their territory
have been recovered and dated to 4000 BC .
And what of the Europeans in all this?
They were in contact with the countries of
central Asia and the Middle East throughout
much of their history. Travellers and mer-
chants contributed to the spread of cannabis,
as did Christian pilgrims bound for Jerusalem
and the movement of people caused by the
crusades.

2.4 Developments Through the
Ages in Europe

2.4.1 The Middle Ages and Renaissance:
Iconography and literature of hemp

Information from this period yields little evi-
dence on hemp cultivation.
The 4th century Roman agronomist,
Palladius, picked up where Columelle (of the
1st century) and his predecessors left off. 6 His
protocols for the cultivation of hemp were
practised throughout the Middle Ages. We also
know that Charlemagne recommended the
cultivation of hemp. Despite the fact that little
mention is made of hemp cultivation during
this period, it is not possible to imagine that it
had disappeared, for - among other factors - it
would still have been needed for the rigging
and equipping of boats.
Further proof of the ongoing use of hemp
comes from iconography: a wood carving of this
period mentions that a particular person 'col-
lected all that he could find into a hemp sack'.