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KwaZulu-Natal is making headlines in the archaeological world, after researchers unearthed 60,000-year-old poisoned arrows in a quiet cave at Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter, just outside Hillcrest.
These are the oldest proven poisoned weapons anywhere on Earth!
While Europe was still figuring out fire and flint, KZN’s early humans were crafting chemically enhanced hunting tech like pros.
Archaeologists analysed tiny stone arrow tips excavated decades ago and found microscopic traces of poisonous plant chemicals… specifically toxins from Boophone disticha, also known as the Bushman’s poison bulb.
This isn’t just cool science trivia. It proves our ancestors weren’t just hunters, they were chemists, botanists, and strategists.
They knew how to extract plant toxins, apply them to arrows, and anticipate that the poison would weaken prey hours later.
This is evidence that early KZN humans were already thinking about cause and effect, delayed payoff, and persistent hunting 60 millennia ago.
READ: Durban ranks among top global travel destinations for 2026
Bringing ancient history to life in KZN
Umhlatuzana isn’t our only heritage masterpiece either!
KwaZulu-Natal is basically a living outdoor museum of early human brilliance.
The province is home to incredible UNESCO World Heritage Sites, each with its own unique attractions:
- uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: This is a mountain wilderness scattered with waterfalls, basalt cliffs, and valleys hiding more than 35,000 ancient San rock paintings, the largest concentration ever found in Africa.
- iSimangaliso Wetland Park: South Africa’s first World Heritage Site with eight interlinked ecosystems, Africa’s southernmost coral reefs, hippo-lined estuaries, leatherback turtles nesting on untouched beaches, and wildlife-rich game reserves sweeping to the sea.
- The Sibhudu Cave: This site holds the first evidence of the use of bow and arrow, the use of bedding and medicinal plants, and some of the first evidence for the production of bone tools.
KZN is also home to a variety of battlefield tours that take you to some of the 63 sites where the Zulu, Boer, and British forces clashed in bloody conflicts that shaped the course of South Africa and rocked the British Empire in the 19th century.
Tourism offices for Battlefield Tours:
Newcastle: [email protected]
Dundee: [email protected]
Ladysmith: [email protected]
Ulundi: [email protected]
Eshowe: [email protected]
Between Stone Age innovation, ancient art galleries, fossil-rich valleys, cultural landmarks, and battlefield history, KZN holds some of the oldest stories ever told.
Instead of scrolling through dusty museum pictures online, get out there and experience KwaZulu-Natal’s unique heritage sites in person this year!
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