MM40/69/178A, B, E, H Toy Arrow Points And Linkshafts

When presented with this collection of arrows and linkshafts the elders identified them as toys made of wood for children (figure 10.1). They explained that the dots were made by putting something in the fire to burn into the toys, to replicate the dots of poison that a hunter puts on an arrowhead. We asked if the metal points were real and they replied no, all of them are toys. The metal-tipped arrow would have been made for a boy to shoot birds and lizards with. They explained that these are not made for boys to practise real hunting; for that purpose the arrows are made from the root of a bush called g/urube (Rhus tenuinervis or Searsia tenuinervis, Kalahari currant). We noticed that some of these objects were made of bone, and that the dots on some of them appeared to be spots of a dried black liquid, in some cases well preserved, and on others only present in the form of a stain.

In Fourie’s notebook he writes at length about how young boys learn to use a bow and arrow, and follow an extended process of education culminating in initiation into the role of hunter: