For millennia, poison has been a part of hunting practices in some parts of the world. New findings from South Africa push back the origins of this technique dramatically, revealing that humans were using poisoned arrowheads at least 60,000 years ago – far earlier than previously thought. This discovery rewrites our understanding of early human ingenuity and the complex relationship between people and the natural world.
Early Evidence of Chemical Warfare
Until recently, archeological evidence suggested that poisoned arrow use began only around 8,000 years ago. Earlier suspicions arose in 2020 when researchers found arrow points dated between 50,000 and 80,000 years old that resembled modern poisoned arrow tips. Now, definitive proof has emerged: five 60,000-year-old quartzite arrowheads, excavated in 1985 from Umhlatuzana rock shelter in South Africa, still bear traces of toxic plant alkaloids.
Specifically, the arrowheads contain buphandrine and epibuphanisine – potent compounds found in the milky sap of the Boophone disticha plant. This plant’s root exudate could be applied directly to arrow tips, or processed into a resin by heating and drying it. The team’s analysis shows that this wasn’t accidental contamination; finding the poison on five out of ten sampled artifacts suggests deliberate application.
A Continuous Tradition?
The discovery is significant because the same poison has been used by the San people of southern Africa until modern times. Researcher Marlize Lombard speculates that the practice may have continued uninterrupted for at least 60,000 years, making it one of the oldest known continuous cultural traditions.
The poison is highly effective: lethal to rodents within 30 minutes and capable of causing severe illness, including nausea and coma, in humans. For larger game, it would have weakened animals, making them easier to track and kill. The origins of this knowledge are likely accidental; Lombard suggests early humans may have learned the poison’s effects through consuming the plant’s bulbs, leading to sickness or death.
Sophisticated Use of Natural Compounds
The findings highlight a sophisticated understanding of plant biochemistry. As Sven Isaksson of Stockholm University notes, this isn’t just about using plants for food or tools; it’s about exploiting their chemical properties – including medicinal, hallucinatory, and, in this case, lethal ones.
To further validate the results, the team tested arrows collected by Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg in the 1770s. Those samples also contained the same deadly alkaloids. This confirms the long-term consistency of the practice.
The discovery underscores the long-standing, complex relationship between humans and nature, where knowledge of poisonous plants wasn’t just about survival but also about refining hunting techniques over tens of thousands of years.
The evidence reinforces the idea that early human populations were keenly observant of their environment and adept at using natural resources in ways that maximized their chances of survival.
