Chemical traces from 60,000 years ago on South African arrowheads confirm the use of poisoned weapons during prehistory. An international team has just identified residues of plant toxins on quartz microliths, pushing back the oldest direct evidence of this practice by over 50,000 years.
This new study adds to an emerging picture from prehistoric archaeology. A few years ago, the analysis of a 7,000-year-old antelope femur, discovered in South Africa, had provided the first direct material proof of poison use on a projectile (see
our article on the subject). More recently, research conducted in France on points dating from about 54,000 years ago had deduced the possible use of poison through morphometric analysis (TCSA method), although no chemical residue had survived (see
our article on the subject). The present discovery connects these clues, providing irrefutable chemical proof that this technique was already fully operational 60,000 years ago in southern Africa.
Irrefutable chemical identification thanks to mass spectrometry
Sven Isaksson's team subjected ten quartz arrowheads, from the 60,000-year-old archaeological layer of the Umhlatuzana site, to an analysis by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. This technique allows for the separation and identification of molecules even in tiny quantities. Five of the artifacts revealed the presence of two specific toxic alkaloids: buphanidrine and epibuphanisine.
These compounds are the chemical signature of
Boophone disticha, a bulbous plant from southern Africa known for its highly toxic sap, historically used as a hunting poison. The location of the residues, concentrated on the part of the tools intended to be hafted onto a shaft, rules out accidental contamination and confirms intentional application. To validate their results, the researchers analyzed historical arrowheads from the 18th century and found the same toxins, proving the stability of these molecules and the continuity of this tradition.
Boophone disticha is an easily identifiable plant.
Image Wikimedia A hunting strategy involving anticipation and know-how
The use of a slow-acting poison, like that of
Boophone disticha, radically transforms hunting practices. The goal is not to kill on the spot, but to inject a substance that will progressively weaken the prey through neurological disorders and paralysis, allowing hunters to track and retrieve it more safely a bit later. This method reduces the risks of direct confrontation with dangerous animals.
This practice requires advanced cognitive reasoning, based on the understanding of a delayed cause-and-effect relationship. It involves deep empirical knowledge of plant properties, poison extraction and preservation techniques, as well as the behavior of intoxicated animals. This discovery, coupled with earlier clues, shows that the mastery of poison hunting was not an isolated innovation, but an established component of the technical repertoire of some Homo sapiens groups as early as the Middle Paleolithic, demonstrating an early capacity to exploit the resources of their environment.
Article author: Cédric DEPOND