San arrow heads

San hunting technology was sophisticated. Bows used by the Kalahari ‘San’ of the 1960s were small and made from wood. The arrow could not kill on impact. Instead, the San constructed a complex tri-sectional arrow: consisting of a flight, a poisoned tip and a tapered link-shaft. On impact, the poisoned tip pierced the skin. The link shaft broke the flight from the tip, preventing the wounded animal from rubbing the arrow out against a tree. The tip worked its way deeper into the flesh and allowed the poison to take effect.

Evidence for link-shaft arrows has been found in the archaeological record suggesting that the practice of hunting with small bows dates back in time.