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What are the actual historical roots of this widespread tool? First, let’s see where its name comes from: “bong“. For many, it comes from the Thai word “baung” which, to paraphrase, means “wooden/bamboo tube”. But we know for sure that the bong was not born in Thailand. So what are its origins? Since the bong is also a water pipe, many are convinced that it is a direct descendant of the hookah.
We also have little information about the origins of the hookah, it could derive from Persia or India, some say from Egypt. For sure we only know that for the nobles it represented a status, and was used in convivial situations. It was born with the idea of filtering the inhaled smoke with water, with the aim of purifying it. And it is for this characteristic that the bong is considered strongly linked to the hookah.
Asia is another continent that comes into consideration when talking about the origins of the bong. This theory arises from the fact that many studies believe that cannabis derives from this continent, and that the bong is therefore an ancient method for consuming the plant. There are very solid theories on the origins of cannabis, and its use in the history of Asia in general has been widely demonstrated, even in very ancient times. But both the theory of descent from hookah and the theory of Asian derivation are actually superficial and inaccurate.
The Bong in Asia
For some researchers, the first documented trace of the use of this tool dates back to the sixteenth century. In fact, one theory credits the Ming Dynasty as the first users of the water bong. Tobacco was becoming an increasingly profitable plant to grow, and this certainly also contributed to the increasingly widespread use of the bong. Some findings, which mix documented history with legend, claim that Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty was very fond of smoking cannabis from bongs made of silver and jade, and some say she had herself buried with several bongs in her mausoleum. As already mentioned, Asia contributed significantly to the spread of this incredible instrument, especially thanks to the Silk Road, which, with its intense commercial traffic, popularized the use of the bong like never before.
The Origins of The Bong
All the clues could therefore lead one to think that the bong comes from Asia or that it is at most a descendant of the hookah, but some research has disproved these hypotheses by attributing the invention of the bong to the African continent. Several finds of what appear to be the ancestors of modern bongs have been made in the western region of the continent. It was considered logical to think that these tools had been created after 1.600, that is, after the spread of tobacco in Africa, previously “discovered” on the American continent and imported by colonists. All these discoveries, however, did not take into consideration the areas to the east and south of Africa, areas of the continent mistakenly considered more “primitive” than the others.
Researcher J.C. Dombrowski, in the early 1.900s, found objects very similar to water pipes in some caves in Ethiopia. There were a dozen “bongs” dated between 1.100 and 1.400, well before the arrival of tobacco on the African continent. Having found strange traces on these utensils, they were immediately analyzed, and the results were exciting: cannabis residues were found on these primordial bongs. This was more than enough evidence to demonstrate that the bong has a much older African origin than its Asian one.
But the mystery has probably not yet been fully revealed. Although there is clear evidence of the use of the bong in East Africa in the 1.100s, with further studies, tools very similar to prototype bongs have been found, much older than African ones. These findings have called into question everything we thought we knew about the origin of this instrument.
These recent findings have brought to light a Scythian burial mound, the so-called kurgan, dating back 2.400 years ago in what is now southern Russia. Two golden bongs were found in this tomb, containing suspicious traces. After various tests and examinations, the researchers managed to date these two solid gold bongs, back approximately to 400 BC, and above all, equally ancient traces of cannabis and opium were found inside them. For now, these are the oldest findings of tools that were almost certainly used in ancient times as modern bongs. And how has this revolutionary object evolved over 2.400 years?
Bong Evolution
The concept of the bong has remained almost unchanged over the millennia, this was a tool made of bamboo, animal horns, or silver and gold, and over time its design has always changed. The ancient Scythians used to make their bongs from solid gold with very intricate decorations. There was no water cistern, but this sort of vase was connected to a bottle full of water. This connection allowed the smoke to be filtered by the water.
The Scythians used the carburizing technique, which allowed them to control the density of the smoke inside the bong, to maximize the flavor and intensity of each hit. Over time, bongs have evolved. Its design has changed, but not by much. A notable boost to its diffusion is due to the processing of new materials. There are many types of bongs that you can buy today, in plastic, ceramic, and plexiglass, but the material with which the bong saw the peak of its success is glass.
Glass also has a very multifaceted history. The first evidence of glass processing in the Mediterranean dates back to 1700 BC in Sardinia. Around 1000-500 BC, glass works were found in India and China. The boom in glass used as a smoking utensil occurred simultaneously with the cultivation and mass consumption of tobacco. In America, tobacco cultivation was a rapidly developing industry, and so was the glass industry. When these two worlds intersected, the glass bong came to light.
This new evolution of the bong spread like wildfire around 1960–1970, an era of psychedelic experimentation and spiritual emancipation. Even today, glass bongs are the most popular on the market, objects made by professional craftsmen that can cost thousands of dollars. One of the most famous craftsmen of the 60s was Bob Snodgrass, who, fascinated by this instrument, decided to refine this art and contribute to the diffusion of the glass bong throughout the United States, becoming a skilled and famous craftsman over the years. The glass bong is considered the best bong for smoking cannabis.
Why is Bong so Popular?
Over the centuries, the bong has become one of the most popular tools for smoking cannabis. There are many reasons: it is a versatile and very practical tool, there are huge and very expensive ones, as well as cheap and pocket-sized ones. They can be built from different materials, including glass, wood, plexiglass, and ceramic. But what makes the bong such a practical smoking tool? His innovation lay in the use of water, a concept that was counterintuitive to think about, especially in ancient times.
Cannabis, already widely used in the areas of Central Asia, was consumed mainly through and inhalation of its fumes. With the bong, the method remains almost unchanged but with a very interesting (and now almost obvious) innovation: the use of water as a filter. The smoke generated by combustion passes into a small water tank. This sort of filtering softens the intensity of the smoke making the experience decidedly more pleasant and considerably potent
The smoke produced by the bong is more abundant and cleaner than the normal joint, each hit ensures a very massive and concentrated dose of the active ingredient. Furthermore, before being inhaled, the smoke is cooled thanks to the water (or ice) present in the bong tank, which also enhances the flavors of the cannabis used, leaving the and terpenes unchanged. With the bong, the smoker’s experience is more delicate but decidedly more intense, which is why, in all its shapes and sizes, the bong has become the most famous and appreciated smoking tool in the entire cannabis scene.
Conclusions
There’s no doubt that the bong has come a long way from its ancestors 2,400 years ago to today. After the 1960s, there was a very tough fight against drugs by the Nixon administration, but it was in the early 2000s that the US government decided to abruptly slow down all manufacturing of drug-related accessories. All pipes, bongs, and various kits for the consumption of cannabis (and other hard drugs) then became illegal.
Producers and distributors risked up to three years in prison and the confiscation of all their assets. Fortunately, today, public opinion regarding the use of cannabis has changed considerably. There is much more information regarding the use and effects of this substance, and the general public is learning to understand the potential benefits of using this plant correctly.
Consequently, all the related accessories are also rapidly evolving, nowadays, there are vaporizers, electronic bongs, and all the best equipment an enthusiast could wish for. There is no doubt, however, that despite innovations and inventions, nothing will ever be able to replace the classic bong, which, in its simplicity, always remains the best tool for consuming cannabis.
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