A groundbreaking archaeological discovery in South Africa has dramatically rewritten the timeline of human technological advancement, pushing back the earliest known use of poisoned arrows by a staggering 56,000 years.
Unearthing Ancient Technology at Umhlatuzana
The evidence comes from the Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter in KwaZulu-Natal, a site first excavated in the 1980s. New analysis of stone artefacts from this location has revealed the oldest direct proof of hunting with poisoned arrows ever found. Previously, the oldest confirmed evidence was from Egyptian bone arrowheads, dated to just 4,000 years ago.
Researchers, including archaeologist Marlize Lombard who first studied the artefacts nearly two decades ago, have now identified toxic plant residues on quartz arrow tips. Sven Isaksson of Stockholm University's archaeology laboratory led the molecular analysis, which pinpointed the poison's source.
The Poison and Its Enduring Legacy
The study found traces of toxic alkaloids—buphandrine and epibuphanisine—on five out of ten analysed stone points. These chemicals originate from the gifbol (Boophone disticha), a poisonous bulb plant indigenous to South Africa. Remarkably, the same alkaloids were identified on bone arrowheads collected by Swedish travellers 250 years ago, indicating a hunting tradition that spanned millennia.
The poison dates to 60,000 years ago, making it the oldest direct evidence globally. This finding surpasses other significant discoveries, such as the 7,000-year-old poisoned arrows from Kruger Cave and earlier indirect evidence from Border Cave dated to between 35,000 and 25,000 years ago.
The gifbol plant's toxins are remarkably durable, resisting decomposition even in wet conditions and bonding well to stone surfaces, which explains their survival over 60 millennia. The plant likely grew within a day's walk from the rock shelter during the Stone Age, just as it does today.
Cognitive Implications and Human Evolution
This discovery is far more than a record-breaking date. It provides profound insight into the cognitive capabilities of early Homo sapiens in southern Africa. Successfully using poisoned arrows requires a sophisticated knowledge system.
Ancient hunters needed the botanical expertise to identify, extract, and safely handle the toxic gifbol exudate. Crucially, they also understood the concept of delayed action—knowing that a poison-tipped arrow would weaken prey over time, facilitating persistence hunting. This demonstrates advanced planning, causal reasoning, and response inhibition (the ability to delay action for a greater reward).
These advanced cognitive and technological skills likely contributed to the long and successful evolution of our species in Africa and, ultimately, to the successful global migration of modern humans. The find adds substantial weight to the understanding of behavioural modernity in ancient African societies.
