© Bradfield, J., Dubery, I. A., & Steenkamp, P. A. (2024).A 7,000-year-old multi-component arrow poison from Kruger Cave, South Africa.
After lying in storage at the University of the Witwatersrand for nearly four decades, renewed archaeological investigations in 2022 prompted scientists to re-examine the femur and its contents. A team from the University of Johannesburg, led by Associate professor Justin Bradfield focused on organic materials, conducted a detailed analysis of the chemical matrix surrounding the arrowheads.
The research revealed a complex recipe combining at least two toxic plant ingredients, including cardiac glycosides known to disrupt heart function. Notably, digitoxin and strophanthidin were identified, alongside ricinoleic acid, a by-product of the toxic lectin ricin. The presence of these compounds suggests that ancient peoples were adept at mixing various plant toxins to create effective hunting poisons.
Interestingly, none of the plant species containing these toxins are native to the Kruger Cave area, indicating that the ingredients may have been sourced from distant locations or through established trade networks. This finding challenges previous assumptions about the movement of non-domestic plants in southern Africa during this period.
Recent findings have revealed that the long-distance transport of non-domestic plants in Africa may have occurred much earlier than previously thought. While researchers have long known that the transport of seashells as ornaments and currency was common throughout the continent well before 7,000 years ago, the movement of non-native plants at such an early date was unexpected.
© The South African Archaeological SocietyThere is faded rock art at the site (one of only seven rock art sites in the Magaliesberg), some of which was recorded by Harold Pager who worked at the site in the 1970s. He recorded 57 images painted on the walls, mostly human figures but also some animals and birds. Very few painted images are visible now.
The study also highlights the significance of traditional pharmacological knowledge among ancient populations, as well as the potential of archaeobotany and organic chemistry to enhance our understanding of historical practices. The ability to create complex recipes for poisons, adhesives, and medicines reflects advanced cognitive capacities of the makers.
This discovery adds to the growing body of evidence regarding the use of poisons in hunting technology, which has been documented across various cultures worldwide. The findings at Kruger Cave illuminate ancient hunting practices while also demonstrating the advanced understanding of natural resource utilization by early human societies.
Reference: iScience
Reader Comments
(sarcasm)
But to the point, that hints to the fact that they had a different approach to bow hunting back then. The recent one (last centuries including current day) is to perforate both lungs - if possible including the heart - with sufficient momentum, and have the prey collapse and die from blood loss in a matter of seconds or minutes.
This doesn't work too well on really large game, which require a scale-up of momentum most modern-day bow hunters can't achieve physically without "cheating".
Wild animals are incredibly robust. There is a large number of reported instances when e.g. deer with less than perfect pass-throughs were seen alive and well a year later.
Which means those paleolithic hunter probably went for larger game, and could affort to follow them for days until they finally succumbed.
Coincidently, some of those tribes use poison arrows as well, but usually in a different context. Most often for low-momentum projectiles like blow darts, and at targets out of reach otherwise. Like monkeys or birds high up in trees.
The average hunting bow (compound) costs several times as much as the cheapest hunting rifle, and a bullet from this rifle delivers serveral times the KE / momentum compared to an arrow.
I think muzzle loaders are somewhat exempt from this rule (and there is a black powder season for hunting AFAIK). A fast crossbow would be another otption, because bowhunting is really hard. One needs to get very close, because the deer will definitely "jump the string" from the unavoidable release noise. And the projectile must arrive before the deer can get out of the way ...
Some are available here in Europe, but barely with KE / momentum fit for hunting anything but small game.
Anyway, freely available airguns are restricted to 6 Joule in the EU, which are about 4,5 ft-lbf. Which is less than the cheapest pistol crossbows ...
I think nowhere on earth the unelected/undeserving rulers fear us lowly commoners more than in Europe.
I thought you mean fps (feet per second). Which would have been almost plausible.
And while we don't have any big game here that requires such projectiles, I have some ideas I would use it for ...