During the Roman era, barbarians carried spoons with them, believing these utensils helped secure victory in battle.

Archaeologists believe that the small spoons carried by Germanic warriors during the Roman era may indicate the use of stimulants on the battlefield, reports ScienceAlert.

According to the researchers, these miniature spoons could have been utilized by ancient warriors to consume drugs, potentially giving them an advantage in combat. It remains unclear which specific substances were involved, and archaeologists still need to address this question.

If the scientists' hypotheses are confirmed, it would represent the first evidence of drug use among cultures outside the Roman Empire.

The use of substances such as opium has been well-documented in Greece and Rome, but the consumption of stimulants beyond these regions remains a mystery. It was previously assumed that barbarians only consumed alcohol.

Two biologists, Anna Jarosz-Wilkola and Anna Rysiak, along with archaeologist Andrzej Jan Kokowski from Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Poland, are investigating these unusual spoons.

They report that these peculiar items are found in burial sites from the Roman era in modern Scandinavia, Germany, and Poland. The handles of the spoons measure between 4 to 7 centimeters in length, while their bowl-shaped parts have a diameter of 1 to 2 centimeters. Some of these spoons were attached to the belts of men.

The Polish team has cataloged 241 spoons, discovered at 116 excavation sites.

Notably, the spoons were frequently included in military gear. They were also found at sites of military sacrifices or in proximity to weapons.

"This suggests that such utensils were a common part of warriors' equipment, and it can also be concluded that pharmacological stimulation of warriors was a regular practice," say the authors of the study.

The scientists have also compiled a list of substances that Germanic barbarians might have consumed. This list includes stimulants such as mushrooms, opium poppy, hops, hemp, belladonna, and other nightshades like henbane.

As a reminder, scientists have discovered the first evidence of drug use by ancient people. The island of Menorca is located in the Mediterranean Sea and was first settled by ancient humans around 3500 BC during the late Copper Age or early Bronze Age.