The history of European hemp cultivation

Humans and hemp (Cannabis sativa) have an ancient relationship, dating back to the beginning of recorded history. Nevertheless, controversy surrounds the antiquity of the plant. Today Cannabis is probably most famous for its psychoactive properties and illicit status in numerous countries, however hemp has primarily been cultivated as a fibre crop in the past. This study examines the European history of hemp cultivation, based on already published data collected from the European Pollen Database and other relevant studies. The oldest indicators of hemp cultivation from the European pollen record is from the Lake Varna-region in Bulgaria, dated to 4280 BCE. However, this find is the only of its kind from this time. Much later, by 500-600 BCE, there are clear indications that hemp cultivation was initiated in southeast Europe. By 700 CE cultivation had spread all the way to the northern and western parts of Europe, including Scandinavia. The earliest evidence of hemp cultivation from Sweden are dated to 20 CE. The most intensive period of cultivation took place between 800-1400 CE. During this time hemp retting was common all over Europe, which explains the extraordinarily large amounts (>80%) of C. sativa pollen recorded in some of the datasets. In the late 17th century the cultivation of hemp almost ceased completely as the cotton industry expanded in Europe. Today hemp fibres only represent a tiny fraction (0.15%) of the European textile market.