Researchers from Sweden and South Africa have found traces of poison on arrowheads dating back 60,000 years in southern Africa. This marks the oldest known use of poisoned arrows to date. The poison comes from the plant gifbol, also known as giftlök in Swedish.
In a collaboration between researchers from South Africa and Sweden, traces of poison have been identified on quartz arrowheads found in southern Africa. These traces date back 60,000 years, surpassing the previous record of 35,000 years for the use of poisoned arrows.
The poison originates from the South African plant gifbol (known as giftlök in Swedish), which early humans used to poison their arrows. The discovery highlights the advanced thinking of early humans.
"It is the result of a long and close collaboration between researchers in South Africa and Sweden. Being able to identify the world's oldest arrow poison together has been a major effort and is incredibly encouraging for further research," says Sven Isaksson, professor at Stockholm University, in a press release.
"Using arrow poison requires planning, patience, and understanding of cause and effect. It is a clear sign of advanced thinking in early humans," adds Anders Högberg, professor at Linnaeus University.
The study is published in the journal Science Advances and underscores the importance of international collaboration in archaeology.
