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 Most Powerful Gravity Machine Ever Has Been Created

January 11, 2026

Zhejiang University in China has begun installing the CHIEF1900 gravitational centrifuge, the largest and most powerful device of its kind ever made, capable of battering objects with 300 times Earth’s gravity to test their resistance to extreme force. The machine, housed within the Centrifugal Hypergravity and Interdisciplinary Experiment Facility in

Read More
Happy News

Gibson Delivers Record Breaking Year For Music Education

January 11, 2026

Gibson Gives capped off 2025 with the most impactful year in its history, donating 2,445 guitars alongside more than $5.3 million enabled for global music education initiatives and pushing the foundation’s lifetime total beyond 16,000 instruments. The philanthropic arm of Gibson placed guitars directly into schools, hospitals, community programs, and

Read More
Happy News

4,500 Year Old Egyptian Sun Temple Discovered

January 11, 2026

An Italian Egyptian archaeological mission has finally excavated a temple for the worship of the sun after it was identified over 100 years ago by German Egyptologist Ludwig Borchardt, who first noted its presence in the Abusir necropolis near Abu Ghurab in 1901 but couldn’t dig because groundwater from the

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.