A recent study suggests that Germanic warriors during the Roman era may have relied on carefully dosed stimulants to enhance their courage and physical endurance in battle. Researchers identified hundreds of small, spoon-like objects, often found alongside war equipment at archaeological sites across Scandinavia, Germany, and Poland, dating between the 1st and 4th centuries CE.
These objects, ranging from 1.5 to 2.7 inches in length and featuring either a concave bowl or a flat disk, were typically attached to warriors’ belts. While they played no role in securing the belts, their proximity to weapons has led scholars to conclude that they likely served as tools for dispensing stimulant substances. The objects were consistently found in graves or marshes, areas associated with battlefields and sacrifices, further supporting the hypothesis of their use in warfare.
https://archaeologymag.com/2024/12/barbarian-warriors-used-stimulants-during-roman-era/
Both caffeine and ephedrine are stimulants.
Yes. That's why I compared the two. However when comparing caffeine to what Id argue most people think of as stimulants like cocaine or amphetamine, they have incredibly minor effects. Its like comparing <1% thc hemp and a 90% thc concentrate imo