Eastern Africans Hunted with Poison-Tipped Arrows at least 13,000 Years Ago

Four of the projectile point fragments recovered from Kuumbi Cave: (A, C and G) impact fractures; (B and D) possible retrieval cut marks; (E) rounded tip; (F) post-depositional fracture revealing bone surface; (H) change in surface appearance. Magnification: A, C, G, and H at 65x; B at 85x; D at 100x; E at 200x. Image credit: Michelle C. Langley et al.

A team of archaeologists studying bone artifacts discovered in a cave on the island of Unguja in the Zanzibar archipelago of Tanzania has found evidence to suggest that bone tools were used for hunting, and even as poison arrow tips.

Bone technology was essential to a Stone Age man’s lifestyle and has been shown to have been in use 60,000 years ago.

The majority of the evidence to support this has been found in sites in southern Africa, but now 13,000-year-old artifacts found in a large limestone cave known as Kuumbi show that this technology was being adopted in eastern Africa as well.

The team, led by Dr. Michelle Langley from the Australian National University, investigated a small assemblage of seven bone artifacts — five bone projectile points, a bone awl, and a notched bone tube — recovered from the Kuumbi Cave.

By analyzing the finds with a camera and microscopes, the scientists were able to compare the manufacture techniques and wear to previous discoveries and to attempts to replicate this technology in the lab.

Their findings, published in the journal Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa, showed that the bone projectile points are likely to have been used for poison arrows, partly due to the slender and short nature of the arrow heads, and partly supported by a previous discovery of charcoal from the Mkunazi plant, which is known to have poisonous fruit. [...] Sci-News.com


Actualización: Hace 13.000 años se usaban flechas con veneno en Zanzíbar Su estudio morfológico indica que de otro modo serían demasiado pequeñas para abatir a sus presas 

No podemos evitarlo, nos gustaría conocer los más nimios detalles de cómo era la vida en la Prehistoria. Desde cómo fabricaban sus herramientas a sus estrategias de caza, e incluso su menú. En el archipiélago de Zanzíbar se han localizado en una cueva abundantes útiles de hueso que han sido estudiados en profundidad, tanto para comocer su tecnología de fabricación como para dilucidar cómo fueron usados. Las abundantes puntas de proyectil de hueso encontradas resultan finas y cortas como para causar heridas mortales a grandes mamíferos, por lo que sus investigadores creen que se usaban junto con veneno para hacerlas más efectivas...