Stone Age symbols could rewrite history of writing
New York Post • • world
Key Points:
- Archaeologists discovered Paleolithic glyphs in a German cave dating back 40,000 years, potentially pushing the origins of written communication back by over 30,000 years.
- The symbols, engraved on artifacts from early humans who encountered Neanderthals, showed complexity comparable to the earliest known writing system, proto-cuneiform, from around 5,000 years ago.
- Researchers analyzed 3,000 inscriptions and found patterns similar to early Mesopotamian writing, suggesting these hunter-gatherers developed an advanced symbolic communication system beyond cave paintings.
- Some glyphs, including rows of dots and notches, may represent calendric observations, indicating prehistoric humans tracked time, while different symbols appeared selectively on animals, tools
