Castor

The Castor Plant in Ancient Egypt


 * Egyptian Name:**

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The Castor Oil Plant was used in ancient Egypt from Predynastic up to Roman times, and the seeds have been found in tombs. Poor people anointed their bodies with the oil, and it was also burned in lamps and used as a base for color pigments. Natron was added to castor oil to make a smokeless fuel, which allowed Egyptian artists to paint elaborate artworks inside ancient tombs without staining them with soot. The berries were chewed for upset stomach.

The Fiber and Oil Plants of Ancient Egypt