Editing Toxicity (section)

==History==
{{Main|History of poison}}

Humans have a deeply rooted history of not only being aware of toxicity, but also taking advantage of it as a tool. Archaeologists studying bone arrows from caves of Southern Africa have noted the likelihood that some aging 72,000 to 80,000 years old were dipped in specially prepared poisons to increase their lethality.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arrow Analysis Pushes Back Origins of Poison-Tip Technology - Archaeology Magazine |url=https://www.archaeology.org/news/8944-200811-poison-arrow-technology |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=www.archaeology.org |date=10 August 2020 |archive-date=2024-02-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214142159/https://www.archaeology.org/news/8944-200811-poison-arrow-technology |url-status=live }}</ref> Although scientific instrumentation limitations make it difficult to prove concretely, archaeologists hypothesize the practice of making poison arrows was widespread in cultures as early as the [[Paleolithic]] era.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Isaksson |first1=Sven |last2=Högberg |first2=Anders |last3=Lombard |first3=Marlize |last4=Bradfield |first4=Justin |title=Potential biomarkers for southern African hunter-gatherer arrow poisons applied to ethno-historical and archaeological samples |journal=Scientific Reports |date=23 July 2023 |volume=13 |issue=1 |page=11877 |doi=10.1038/s41598-023-38735-0 |pmc=10363533 |pmid=37482542 |bibcode=2023NatSR..1311877I }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-815339-0.00001-9 |chapter=The Prehistory of Poison Arrows |title=Toxicology in Antiquity |date=2019 |last1=Borgia |first1=Valentina |pages=1–10 |isbn=978-0-12-815339-0 }}</ref> The San people of Southern Africa have managed to preserved this practice into the modern era, with the knowledge base to form complex mixtures from poisonous beetles and plant derived extracts, yielding an arrow-tip product with a shelf life beyond several months to a year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=San Poison Arrows [journal article review] {{!}} Peaceful Societies |url=https://peacefulsocieties.uncg.edu/2016/05/19/san-hunting-poison-arrows/ |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=peacefulsocieties.uncg.edu |archive-date=2024-01-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240120130557/https://peacefulsocieties.uncg.edu/2016/05/19/san-hunting-poison-arrows/ |url-status=live }}</ref>