Researchers unveiled what may be the world's oldest confirmed multi-component arrow poison, dating back 7,000 years, in a study published in the scientific journal iScience.
During a 1983 excavation at Kruger Cave in South Africa, archaeologists uncovered the femur bone of an unspecified antelope, which contained three modified bone arrowheads embedded in its marrow cavity. For nearly four decades, this artifact remained in storage at the University of the Witwatersrand. Renewed archaeological investigations in 2022 prompted scientists to reexamine the femur and its contents, illuminating ancient hunting practices.
The original X-ray images from the 1980s were of relatively poor quality. To gain deeper insights, researchers employed micro-CT scans to reexamine the bone. As reported by Oxu.az, the scans revealed that three modified arrowheads had been inserted into the marrow cavity of the femur bone, coated with a toxic substance consisting of at least two different plant poisons.
Chemical analyses determined that the poison mixture included the toxic plant compounds digitoxin and strophanthin, both cardiac glycosides known to disrupt heart function. Additionally, traces of ricinoleic acid were detected in the sample, which can occur during the oxidative breakdown of the toxic lectin ricin.
None of the plants containing digitoxin and strophanthidin are native to the vicinity of Kruger Cave. This suggests that people were either traveling long distances to acquire these ingredients or that there was an established trade network in the region. According to Arkeonews, this finding challenges previous assumptions about the movement of non-domestic plants in southern Africa during this period. Researchers had known that the long-distance transport of seashells as ornaments and currency was common throughout Africa well before 7,000 years ago, but the movement of non-native plants at such an early date was unexpected.
"The preparation of this poison shows that people at that time had detailed pharmacological knowledge," said Justin Bradfield from the University of the Witwatersrand, according to Sozcu.
The application of poison to hunting weapons is thought to have originated about 60,000 to 70,000 years ago, alongside the invention of projectile technology in Africa.
Historical records demonstrate that in most parts of the world, hunters relied on toxic compounds derived from plants and animals to make their weapons more effective. The study underscores the significance of traditional pharmacological knowledge among ancient populations.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq