40,000-Year-Old German Figurines Hint at Early Sign System Preceding Writing
TL;DR Summary
A study of about 3,000 geometric signs carved on 260 Stone Age artifacts from the Swabian Alps in southwestern Germany (roughly 34,000–45,000 years old) finds patterns that resemble proto-cuneiform, suggesting an early sign system that could encode information long before writing. The markings appear on mammoth and horse figurines as well as tools, indicating sophisticated cognitive behavior, though researchers caution that the exact meanings remain unknown.
- Symbols found carved into 40,000-year-old artifacts may be precursor to writing CNN
- 40,000-year-old European engravings reveal structured sign systems, study finds Archaeology News Online Magazine
- Earliest known writing dates back over 40,000 years Popular Science
- 40,000-year-old signs show humans were recording information long before writing ScienceDaily
- 40,000-year-old Stone Age symbols may have paved the way for writing, long before Mesopotamia Phys.org
Reading Insights
Total Reads
0
Unique Readers
3
Time Saved
214 min
vs 215 min read
Condensed
100%
42,951 → 66 words
Want the full story? Read the original article
Read on CNN