The Secret Weapon of Early Humans

by Yizuo Pan, age 10

Humans have been finding new ways to hunt for millenia. But when did humans discover the strategy of dipping sharp weapons into poisonous substances? Recently, researchers found that humans have been dipping weapons into poison as a hunting technique for tens of thousands of years.

Sven Isaksson, a professor of ancient science at Stockholm University, discovered poison 60,000 years ago in South Africa. The next-oldest poison was only 35,000 years old. In Science Advance, Isaksson said, “It’s a big leap.” The discovery reinforces the theory that early Homo sapiens had advanced cognitive abilities. To tip an arrow with poison, hunters needed knowledge of local plants and the further steps.

Isaksson and his team examined artifacts discovered in 1985 at the Umblatuzana Rock Shelter in South Africa. The location has layers that are more than 10,000 years old. They examined poisonous arrows estimated to be 60,000 years old. They were surprisingly small, but the arrows had a strong poison.

Michelle Langley, an associate professor of ancient history, said “It is always worth going back and taking another look.” She noted that the identification of these poisonous weapons added to evidence of how much intelligence our ancient ancestors had. Archaeologists and scientists are still uncovering the rich history of ancient poison.

[Source: New York Times]