Redefining the Stone Age dating from poison

The analysis of some of the oldest toxic artifacts and drugs shows that the Late Stone Age could begin in Africa 20,000 years earlier than the time that scientists still think.

New analysis of artifacts obtained from a cave in South Africa showed that people here chiseled stone tools, used dyes, and even used poison from 44,000 years ago. Previously, these artifacts were thought to be associated with San civilization - dating back 20,000 years ago.

'Our research demonstrates that Late Stone Age appeared in South Africa much earlier than the landmark we still thought, and appeared with the time when modern people were present in Europe , " said the researcher. rescue Paola Villa, manager at the Museum of Natural History at Colorado University, said.

Late Stone Age in Africa appeared at the same time as the Old Stone Age in Europe, when modern humans moved from Africa to Europe and met Neanderthals 45,000 years ago.

Hang Bien border is used by people as a place to live
tens of thousands of years ago. (Source: Livescience)

"The regional technical and cultural differences are very large, showing that people in the two regions choose different evolutionary paths , " Villa said.

Traces of civilization were found in Africa 80,000 years ago, but evidence like bone tools disappeared from archaeological data about 60,000 years ago.

Almost scientists don't know anything about what happened in South Africa 40,000 - 20,000 years ago. This gap makes it difficult for scientists to associate society between the Stone Age with the later period.

Researchers have discovered the actual start of the Stone Age late after exploring the Border Cave, located near the border of South Africa and Swaziland. They discovered a number of artifacts dating back much longer than they previously thought.

Among the objects found, the researchers found a piece of beeswax mixed with toxic resin, which could have been used to attach a grip with a skewer or arrow. The beeswax dates back 35,000 years, and this is the oldest evidence of the use of beeswax to attach tools.

The team also discovered a wooden stick with many scratches. Chemical analysis showed that there were traces of ricinoleic acid, a natural poison found in castor beans. It is possible that this stick is used to apply poison to the arrowhead or lance.

Maybe these techniques were used 50,000 to 60,000 years ago in Europe and then spread to Europe, the researchers said.