The plant species Peganum harmala, also known as Syrian rue or harmal, is known worldwide for its psychoactive, antibacterial, and therapeutic properties. It has also played a significant cultural role in traditional medicine for centuries. According to a statement released by the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, humans' deliberate usage of the plant goes back much further than originally thought. In a recent study, researchers used advanced metabolic profiling to analyze residues on pottery found at the desert oasis site of Qurayyah in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The team found trace amounts of harmal on various ceramic fumigation devices found in...