Oldest Arrow Poison Discovered in South Africa

Researchers from South Africa and Sweden have identified the world's oldest known arrow poison on 60,000-year-old quartz arrowheads found at Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The poison, derived from the gifbol plant (Boophone disticha), was detected through chemical analysis by experts like Sven Isaksson from Stockholm University. This discovery, published in Science Advances, pushes back the timeline for human use of poisoned weapons by over 50,000 years. Marlize Lombard of the University of Johannesburg and Anders Hogberg of Aarhus University highlighted that this finding demonstrates advanced knowledge of toxic substances, sophisticated hunting techniques, and complex cognitive abilities in early humans, including planning and understanding cause and effect. The continuity of knowledge is also suggested by similar substances found on 250-year-old arrowheads in Swedish collections.