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60,000-Year-Old Poisoned Arrows Reveal Ancient Human Ingenuity

1/10/2026

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Summary

Story summary

A study led by Sven Isaksson from Stockholm University finds that poisoned arrows date to 60,000 years ago in South Africa, far earlier than the next oldest evidence at 35,000 years.
The study, published in Science Advances, suggests early Homo sapiens had cognitive skills to understand plant properties and develop hunting tools.
Isaksson notes that the findings may indicate poison-use practices earlier than 60,000 years, highlighting sophisticated ancient human behavior.

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Story summary

A study led by Sven Isaksson from Stockholm University finds that poisoned arrows date to 60,000 years ago in South Africa, far earlier than the next oldest evidence at 35,000 years.
The study, published in Science Advances, suggests early Homo sapiens had cognitive skills to understand plant properties and develop hunting tools.
Isaksson notes that the findings may indicate poison-use practices earlier than 60,000 years, highlighting sophisticated ancient human behavior.