World's Oldest Poison Arrow

World's oldest poison arrow: Archaeologists identify toxic substance on Stone Age hunters' 60,000–year–old weapon – and it still has active compounds

Researchers have identified traces of plant toxins on Stone Age arrowheads – making it the oldest known arrow poison in the world to date.

A team analysing 60,000–year–old quartz arrowheads from Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter in KwaZulu–Natal, South Africa, found chemical residues of poison that still have 'active components'.

This toxic substance is from a plant called gifbol (Boophone disticha), a poisonous species still used by traditional hunters in the region today.

The discovery pushes back the earliest direct evidence of poison arrow use by tens of thousands of years.

In humans the poison can induce symptoms of nausea, visual impairment, respiratory paralysis and a coma.

Even in small quantities, it can be lethal to rodents in just 20 minutes – leading the researchers to believe it was used to slow prey animals down while they hunted them.

'The compounds we have detected…are active components and they are poisonous,' Professor Sven Isaksson, from Stockholm University, told the Daily Mail.

'However, they are today only present as minute traces on these Stone Age artifacts in way too low concentrations to be deadly.'

Both sides of one of the arrowheads analysed. The left–hand image shows the organic remains in which the poisonous arrowhead residues were identified, appearing as a reddish colour

Analysis of the arrowheads, which bear microscopic impact scars (highlighted by the white arrows)

The toxic substance is from a plant called gifbol (Boophone disticha), a poisonous species still used by traditional hunters in the region today

'This is the oldest direct evidence that humans used arrow poison,' Professor Marlize Lombard, from the University of Johannesburg, said.

'It shows that our ancestors in southern Africa not only invented the bow and arrow much earlier than previously thought, but also understood how to use nature's chemistry to increase hunting efficiency.'

The researchers said similar poisonous substances have also been found on 250–year–old arrowheads in Swedish collections, which were gathered by travellers during the 18th century.

The fact that the same plant poison was used in both historical and prehistoric times indicates a long continuity of knowledge and tradition, they explained.

'Finding traces of the same poison on both prehistoric and historical arrowheads was crucial,' says Professor Sven Isaksson, from Stockholm University.

'By carefully studying the chemical structure of the substances and thus drawing conclusions about their properties, we were able to determine that these particular substances are stable enough to survive this long in the ground.

'It's also fascinating that people had such a deep and long–standing understanding of the use of plants.'

Previously, indirect traces of poison have been used to interpret hunting practices, but the new findings constitute the first direct evidence of hunting with poisoned arrows.

A close–up of the arrowheads unearthed from the from Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter in KwaZulu–Natal, South Africa

A previous study revealed teardrop–shaped tools (pictured) were hurled through the air as weapons 77,000 years ago in South Africa

The study shows that these early hunters not only had technical skills but also advanced planning abilities and an understanding of how poisons work over time – characteristics that reflect modern human cognition.

'Using arrow poison requires planning, patience and an understanding of cause and effect. It is a clear sign of advanced thinking in early humans,' Professor Anders Högberg, from Linnaeus University, said.

Before now, the earliest poisoned arrows from Africa date back roughly 7,000 years.

The researchers published their findings in the journal Science Advances.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE STONE AGE?

The Stone Age is a period in human prehistory distinguished by the original development of stone tools that covers more than 95 per cent of human technological prehistory.

It begins with the earliest known use of stone tools by hominins, ancient ancestors to humans, during the Old Stone Age - beginning around 3.3million years ago.

Between roughly 400,000 and 200,000 years ago, the pace of innovation in stone technology began to accelerate very slightly, a period known as the Middle Stone Age.

By the beginning of this time, handaxes were made with exquisite craftsmanship. This eventually gave way to smaller, more diverse toolkits, with an emphasis on flake tools rather than larger core tools.

The Stone Age is a period in human prehistory distinguished by the original development of stone tools that covers more than 95 per cent of human technological prehistory. This image shows neolithic jadeitite axes from the Museum of Toulouse

These toolkits were established by at least 285,000 years in some parts of Africa, and by 250,000 to 200,000 years in Europe and parts of western Asia. These toolkits last until at least 50,000 to 28,000 years ago.

During the Later Stone Age the pace of innovations rose and the level of craftsmanship increased.

Groups of Homo sapiens experimented with diverse raw materials, including bone, ivory, and antler, as well as stone.

The period, between 50,000 and 39,000 years ago, is also associated with the advent of modern human behaviour in Africa.

Different groups sought their own distinct cultural identity and adopted their own ways of making things.

Later Stone Age peoples and their technologies spread out of Africa over the next several thousand years.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-15449283/Worlds-oldest-poison-arrow-toxic-substance.html

Stone weapons hurled through the air 77,000 years ago are unearthed in South Africa

• Teardrop-shaped tools were used as projectile weapons in the Middle Stone Age
• Researchers examined 25 stone weapons excavated from the Sibudu Cave site
• They believe the serrated rock tools were lobbed by bows to hunt animals

Stone weapons hurled through the air 77,000 years ago have been unearthed in South Africa.

The teardrop-shaped tools were used as projectile weapons in the Middle Stone Age, according to researchers.

Archaeologists believe the serrated rocks were hand-thrown or lobbed by bows to hunt animals.

Stone weapons (pictured) hurled through the air 77,000 years ago have been unearthed in South Africa

The South African Middle Stone Age is considered a period of major technological advancement, with hunter-gatherers introducing new manipulative techniques using heat and pressure to create stone projectile weapons.

But the timing and location of these developments is a topic of much debate.

Researchers examined 25 weapon point fragments excavated from the Sibudu Cave site in South Africa.

They analysed their technological and functional differences by comparing them with reference samples produced for the purpose by an experienced knapper.

Some of the points had two faces - a likely result of applying pressure to both sides.

Some had serrations, or jagged edges, that were likely produced by a technique known as pressure flaking.

Close-up images of the serrated edges of the stone weapons. The teardrop-shaped tools were used as projectile weapons in the Middle Stone Age, according to researchers

The researchers found that 14 of the 25 point fragments bore evidence of impact-related damage, animal residues, and wear features.

These features strongly indicate that the stone tools may have been used for hunting.

'The South African Middle Stone Age (MSA) surprises by the multiplicity of the archaeological discoveries,' the scientists from the University of Liège, Belgium, led by Dr Veerle Rots, said in a research paper.

'Technical innovations are important testimonials of the evolution of human societies since they have the potential to reflect new adaptations of societies to their environment, new social and economic organisations, as well as differences in cognitive architectures [intelligence].'

Scientific drawings of the rock weapons. Some had serrations, or jagged edges, that were likely produced by a technique known as pressure flaking

'We focus on an unpublished collection of bifacial serrated points that was discovered in the deep deposits of the site of Sibudu.' 

Further examination of the impact-related fractures indicated that these points may have been attached to handles to form projectile weapons, and that these weapons were projected from a distance, most likely with a flexible spear-thrower or a bow.

The find pushes back the earliest date for pressure flaking during the South African Middle Stone Age to 77,000 years ago.

Rock weapons were found in the Sibudu Cave, a rock shelter in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4448142/Stone-weapons-77-000-years-ago-South-Africa.html