AROUND THE WORLD
Aug 10, 2021
3 minutes
BY JASON URBANUS
![f0022-01](https://article-imgs.scribdassets.com/8qtg2e770g8vedrm/images/fileUXB8J84S.jpg)
When archaeologists in the southern Yukon recovered a 6,000-year-old atlatl dart—a deadly projectile used by First Nations peoples—from melting alpine ice, they noticed it was coated with a mysterious orangish substance. The researchers initially suspected it was red ochre, but further examination revealed that it was actually castoreum, a secretion beavers use to mark their territory. This is the first known archaeological evidence of the substance’s use. It might have been applied to the dart as an adhesive,
You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.
Start your free 30 days