Originally published at: Found: 6,000-year-old feathered dart coated with secretion from beaver's anal sac | Boing Boing
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Someone did a taste test didn’t they.
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Yessir, learn sumpin’ new everyday.
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Fun fact - beaver anal sac secretion is used to make some kinds of artificial vanilla flavoring.
yum.
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Lucky for you, Tamworth Distilling has brought back Eau de Musc for a second bottling.
I’ve got a bottle, it’s quite tasty.
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The annals of history never cease to amaze!
I always wonder when about these types of discoveries. I mean who in the ancient world thought of this first? Was it a dare? Were the beavers in on it? Were there discussions?
“castoreum is a sticky, semi-liquid paste and becomes solid with a waxy to resinous texture as it dries,” according to the study.
sooo… it was used as a ‘glue’ to stick/align the feathers to the dart? (or fletch them, if you will?)
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Anals?
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I corrected your typo. 
Another typo, for sure. (As @anon87143080 also just pointed out)
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The researchers aren’t sure why the anal secretion was applied to the dart
Because someone shot a beaver?
Come and listen to my story about a man named Jed
A poor hunter-gatherer, barely kept his family fed,
And then one day he was shootin at some food,
And up through the butt come a bubblin crude.
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But can it be used to make a tuna sandwich?
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Boring! I’m imagine them trying to stuff a beaver into a blowgun. Vicious when it connects, but take a lot of air to shift it.
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I don’t know how difficult it is to harvest actual vanilla beans but surely it isn’t that difficult.
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Actually,
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Oh man, that’s great, been wondering where I put that.
Nope, you paid extra for that natural vanilla flavor.
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The what of history?
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Who said it’s difficult? You just have to find a beaver who likes that kind of thing and ensure it provides active and vigorous consent.
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