Ancient Aurignacian Marks Hint at a 40,000-Year-Old Pre-Writing System
A statistical study of 260 Aurignacian artifacts (43,000–34,000 years ago) identified over 3,000 marks arranged in deliberate, repeatable sequences with object-type–dependent patterns. The information-density patterns remained stable for about 10,000 years, suggesting a shared symbolic system used to store and organize information—an early precursor to writing, but not a direct representation of spoken language like protocuneiform. Researchers emphasize the exact meanings are unknown, yet the work implies complex symbolic communication by early hunter-gatherers long before true writing emerged.