60,000-Year-Old Poisoned Arrows Found in South Africa, Rewriting Human History

• Scientists discovered 60,000-year-old quartz arrowheads with poison traces at Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
• This finding, published in Science Advances, proves advanced strategic hunting with poisoned arrows much earlier than previously thought (4,000-8,000 years ago).
• The poison, derived from the highly toxic Boophone disticha plant, gradually weakened prey, allowing hunters to capture them easily.
• Chemical analysis revealed the poison's stability in soil for millennia, offering new insights for future archaeological discoveries.
• The discovery challenges previous timelines, indicating sophisticated human planning and technology 60,000 years ago.

Why It Matters: Ancient humans used poisoned arrows 60,000 years ago, demonstrating advanced planning and strategic hunting.