58. An Unknown Plant

There are some things about ancient history we may never know. Silphium is one of those ancient mysteries that have plagued historians for decades. Silphium was a plant that was a vital part of many ancient economies, including the ancient Greek and Roman city of Cyrene in present-day Libya. 

Silphium was used as a seasoning, perfume, and contraceptive by the ancient Greeks and Romans. It was so heavily traded and used that the plant is thought to have gone extinct by 200 BC. To this day, we don’t know the true identity of this important plant. The most popular theory is that silphium was related to the modern-day giant fennel plant.