Early Use of Toxic Substances in Stone Age Africa

Plant poison traces found on 60,000-year-old arrowheads in South Africa.
Buphandrine and epibuphanisine identified as toxic plant alkaloids.
Oldest direct evidence of poison use dates to 4,000 years ago in Egypt.
Historical Swedish arrowheads contained same toxic compounds.
Indigenous hunters still use Boophone disticha for poisoning.

Toxicology | Archaeology | Prehistory

Sweden | Egypt | South Africa

1 week ago