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Poison traces found on 60,000-year-old Southern African microliths

Social Sciences research
Photo by Arthur Shuraev on Pexels · Pexels License
Research area:ArchaeologyAnthropologyArcheology

What the study found

The study identified traces of toxic plant alkaloids on backed microliths from Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The alkaloids buphandrine and epibuphanisine were found, and the authors say the most likely source is Boophone disticha bulb exudate.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors conclude that this is the first direct evidence for the use of a plant-based poison on the tips of Pleistocene hunting weapons. They say the discovery highlights the complexity of subsistence strategies and cognition in southern Africa since the mid-Pleistocene.

What the researchers tested

The researchers carried out targeted microchemical and biomolecular analyses on backed microliths excavated from a level dated to 60,000 years ago. They looked for chemical traces that could identify whether poison had been applied to the weapon tips.

What worked and what didn't

The analyses detected buphandrine and epibuphanisine, which the abstract says only originate from Amaryllidaceae plants indigenous to southern Africa. The authors identify Boophone disticha as the most likely source of the poison. The abstract does not describe any negative or inconclusive results.

What to keep in mind

The summary provided is limited to the abstract, so details of the analytical procedures, sample size, and uncertainty are not given. The abstract presents the plant source as the most likely one, rather than as a fully proven identification.

Key points

  • Toxic plant alkaloids were identified on backed microliths from Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter.
  • The microliths came from a level dated to about 60,000 years ago.
  • The detected compounds were buphandrine and epibuphanisine.
  • The authors say Boophone disticha bulb exudate is the most likely poison source.
  • The paper claims this is the first direct evidence of plant poison on Pleistocene hunting weapon tips.

Disclosure

Research title:
Poison traces found on 60,000-year-old Southern African microliths
Authors:
Sven Isaksson, Anders Högberg, Marlize Lombard
Institutions:
Stockholm University, Linnaeus University, University of Johannesburg
Publication date:
2026-01-07
DOI:
10.1126/sciadv.adz3281
OpenAlex record:
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Image credit:
Photo by Arthur Shuraev on Pexels · Pexels License
AI provenance: This post was generated by OpenAI. The original authors did not write or review this post.

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