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How to grow herbs of the ancient world (and what to use them for)
Myrrh is mentioned in an ancient Egyptian medical text dating to 1550BC.
The earliest recorded medicinal use of herbs is a Sumerian clay slab from Nagpur, India, believed to be 5000 years old. It has 12 recipes for remedies and named more than 250 plants.
Predating written history, seeds likely used for herbal medicine and pollen from flowering herbs have been found at ancient burial sites. Pollen from eight plant species, including yarrow, knapweed, groundsel, grape hyacinth, mallows and ephedra, were found at the Neanderthal burial site Shanidar IV in northern Iraq, which dates around 60,000BC.
Herbs were important to the ancients. They were gathered wild, bought at markets or grown in their own gardens. They were eaten, imbibed and applied to the skin to treat various ailments. Many herbs were used in remedies but the five listed here were standouts.
FRANKINCENSE
Most commonly known as an ingredient for incense, frankincense is an aromatic resin that derives from trees of the Boswellia family. Along with gold and myrrh, it was named in the Bible as one of the Wise Men's gifts to the baby Jesus.
Traded in the Middle East and North Africa for over 5000 years, it was burned in religious ceremonies and was used in perfumes and insect repellents, and in salves and solutions to treat everything from indigestion to leprosy. It was also a key ingredient in the embalming process.
Frankincense has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties so it's well suited to numerous ailments, something the ancients were well aware of. It is obtained by slashing the bark, a process called striping. The resin that oozes out is allowed to harden before it's scraped off the trunk. It may then be used in its dried form or steam distilled to yield essential oils.
It is the essential oil that we have access to here in New Zealand. In particular, it's used to treat stress and depression, as it has a calming effect on the mind. I love it in spicy perfumes – it has a woody aroma with a piney-lemon smell with a hint of pepper. It's good in citrus perfumes as well, as it helps to extend the life of citrus. The anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of frankincense are used today in a topical salve to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis.
FLAX
Not to be confused with our native phormium, Linum usitatissimum is an annual herb that grows a metre high and bears small sky-blue flowers. It's one of the oldest known crop plants, grown for its fibre, which is used to make linen, and for its seeds, from which flaxseed or linseed oil derives.
In ancient times the seeds were used as a demulcent (to relieve pain and inflammation of the membrane), to soothe burns or inflamed skin, and as a laxative. Today both the seeds and its oil are still widely used in herbal medicine. They're rich in essential fatty acids, and are useful for addressing a variety of inflammatory disorders and to protect against heart and circulation problems.
The plant's natural fibres were used to make the linen that wrapped the mummies of ancient Egypt dating back to at least 5000BC. And they're still used in linen production today. The species has been developed as two strains: a taller one known as long-stalked flax, or linen flax, which is grown for its fibre (it gives few seeds), and a shorter one, called crown flax, common blue flax, or linseed, which is grown for its flowers and seed.
Seeds for both strains are sown in spring. For use in linen, it takes 70-90 days for the plant to grow from seed to fibre production. Seeds for eating are harvested in late summer. Sow directly in a sunny position in well-drained soil.
MYRRH
Commiphora myrrha, or Commiphora molmol, was one of the earliest plants to be put to medicinal use. Sumerian texts around 1700BC describe several remedies containing myrrh. It's also mentioned in the ancient Egyptian medical text Ebers Papyrus from 1550BC.
Like frankincense, the aromatic resin is used, obtained by the same slashing method. It was employed as an incense and a perfume, and was valued in medicine for its antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and fever-reducing properties, and still is today. In Biblical times it was a part of the anointing oils used in the Tabernacle to purify the dead.
The pieces of resin break easily and can be used in a tincture or steam distilled to yield essential oils. It can be applied directly to a mouth ulcer or infected gum, or 1 teaspoon diluted in water and used as a mouthwash. Use up to 3 times daily.
ANISE
In Biblical times, anise (Pimpinella anisum) was used to pay taxes and in offerings. The Ancient Egyptians and Ancient Greeks cultivated it for its diuretic and digestive properties, as well as to relieve pain and ease thirst.
Today, anise is used to reduce gut spasms, diminish coughing and help with asthma and bronchitis. Chomp on the seeds for a breath freshener.
An annual herb, anise grows 30-45cm high and produces slender stems with umbels of white flowers. The seeds are harvested in autumn. Dry them before storing in an airtight container. To grow your own, sow seed in spring in well-drained, rich soil in sun or light shade.
To treat digestive problems and coughs, grind ½ teaspoon of dried anise seeds to release the essential oil. Infuse in 1 cup of freshly boiled water for 5 minutes, then strain. Drink 2-3 cups a day.
GARLIC
Ezra, the Jewish scribe and priest, ordained 10 laws: including that the law (God's law) be read on Sabbath; that the law be read on Mondays and Thursdays; that courts be held on Mondays and Thursdays; that clothes be washed on Thursdays; and that garlic be eaten on Fridays!
Garlic had an important role in the ancient world. Its five properties were said to be this: it satiates; it keeps the body warm; it brightens the face; it increases semen; and it kills parasites in the bowels. It was also said to foster love and remove jealousy. Why eat garlic on a Friday? Because it was customary to have marital relations on a Friday… and garlic was thought to foster love and increase semen.
Garlic does, in fact, appear to help with virility. It boosts blood flow to the penis by increasing nitric-oxide production and relaxing blood vessels. Without nitric oxide, erections are impossible.
The Egyptians consumed raw garlic and onions for increased strength and productivity, for general malaise, to treat circulatory ailments and parasitic worms. The ancient Greeks also consumed garlic to increase strength and courage, and for pulmonary issues. Fresh garlic was mashed and macerated in a mixture of vinegar and water and used as a rinse for sore throats and toothaches.
Today, garlic is used to treat heart disease and high cholesterol, to lower high blood pressure, for infections (it has antimicrobial actions), to boost the immune system, and to treat digestive and respiratory problems, among other things.
The tradition is to plant on the shortest day and harvest on the longest, but really plant cloves in a sunny spot in well-drained soil in autumn or winter. Each clove will form a bulb ready to harvest mid to late summer, or early autumn.
Source: NZ Gardener magazine