World's oldest poisoned arrowheads were coated with toxins from deadly onion-like plant, researchers say

Archaeologists precocious identified the world's oldest-known poisoned arrowheads, a find that dates backmost astir 60,000 years.

The poison was recovered connected quartz arrowheads from Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter successful KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, SWNS reported. 

The study's results, precocious published successful the diary Science Advances, progressive Swedish and South African researchers.

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The Stone Age arrowheads were coated with poison from the South African works gifbol, a toxic bulb sometimes called the "poisonous onion."

The bulb contains buphanidrine and epibuphanisine, 2 chemic compounds that were recovered connected the arrowheads.

Archaeologists identified the world's oldest-known poisoned arrowheads, dating backmost astir 60,000 years. (iStock; Marlize Lombard/University of Johannesburg via SWNS)

The find represents the oldest known nonstop grounds of arrow poison, highlighting precocious hunting skills among Stone Age humans.

In a statement, Stockholm University prof Sven Isaksson said the survey is the effect of "a agelong and adjacent collaboration betwixt researchers successful South Africa and Sweden."

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"Being capable to place the world's oldest arrow poison unneurotic has been a analyzable undertaking and is incredibly encouraging for continued research," said Isaksson.

Linnaeus University prof Anders Högberg, who was besides progressive successful the study, said the arrows are "a wide motion of precocious reasoning successful aboriginal humans."

The gifbol works contains toxic compounds that researchers identified connected immoderate of the world's oldest known arrowheads. (Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images)

"Using arrow poison requires planning, patience and an knowing of origin and effect," helium said.

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Marlize Lombard, a prof astatine the University of Johannesburg who was besides progressive successful the study, said the results amusement that "our ancestors successful Southern Africa invented the bow and arrow overmuch earlier than antecedently thought."

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The find is 1 of galore caller studies shedding airy connected beingness during prehistoric times.

The find offers the earliest known impervious that aboriginal humans utilized poison to amended their hunting efficiency. (Marlize Lombard/University of Johannesburg via SWNS)

Last month, researchers published a survey detailing grounds of the oldest-known deliberate fire-making by humans, dating backmost 400,000 years.

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Australian researchers precocious uncovered the traces of a dinosaur that whitethorn person had a limp, acknowledgment to fossilized footprints successful Colorado.