Skip to content
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Menu
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Happy News

Oldest Known Arrow Poison Reveals Surprises

Scientists identified traces of poison from the South African plant gifbol on Stone Age arrowheads dating back 60,000 years, making it the oldest known arrow poison discovered anywhere in the world. This also shows that and showing that people in southern Africa had already developed advanced knowledge of toxic substances long before anyone had anticipated. Researchers from South Africa and Sweden made the discovery on 60,000 year old quartz arrowheads from Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter in KwaZulu-Natal, identifying chemical residues of poison from gifbol, a poisonous plant still used by traditional hunters in the region today. Professor Marlize Lombard of the Palaeo-Research Institute at the University of Johannesburg explained that the residue shows our ancestors in southern Africa not only invented the bow and arrow much earlier than previously thought, but also understood how to use nature’s chemistry to increase hunting efficiency. The gifbol plant, also known as the poisonous onion, is renowned among local hunters for its highly toxic properties but has no bright colors to clue anyone in, meaning the toxicity must have been established through trial and error or other careful observations.

Using arrow poison requires planning, patience, and an understanding of cause and effect, which Professor Anders Högberg of Linnaeus University says is a clear sign of advanced thinking in early humans who didn’t just hunt constantly hoping for the best. The discovery implies early hunters had both technical skills and advanced planning abilities, taking time to prepare their equipment to maximize their chances of success in ways that show we’re probably not giving our ancestors enough credit for their intelligence and innovation.

PrevPreviousThe Ultimate Shrek Proposal
NextHow An 80 Year Old Beat America’s Toughest TrailNext

Recent Articles

Happy News

The Ancient Smiling Fossil That Has The Internet Delighted

February 26, 2026

When Christine Clark set out for a Boxing Day walk along the beach on Holy Island in northern England, she was simply hunting for the small disc-shaped fossils that locals have been lovingly collecting on that stretch of coast for over a thousand years. But something entirely unexpected stopped her

Read More
Happy News

Scientists Discover World’s Largest Coral Colony On The Great Barrier Reef

February 25, 2026

A breathtaking new discovery is giving ocean lovers around the world reason to celebrate. A mother-daughter duo of citizen scientists has found and mapped the world’s largest coral colony on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, a magnificent structure stretching 364 feet long with a footprint of roughly 42,765 square feet, roughly

Read More
Happy News

The Surprising Brain Benefits Of Birdwatching

February 25, 2026

If you have a birdwatcher in your life, it turns out they might be onto something far more powerful than a relaxing morning hobby. A new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that expert birdwatchers actually have measurably different brain structures compared to beginners, with notably denser tissue

Read More
« Previous Next »
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2026 HappyNews.