💨 Abstract

A new study suggests that writing may have begun tens of thousands of years earlier than previously believed. Researchers found that Stone Age humans engraved complex, meaningful symbols on tools and sculptures around 40,000 years ago. These symbols, found on over 3,000 objects, share similarities with proto-cuneiform, the earliest known writing system from ancient Mesopotamia. The objects, discovered in caves in southwestern Germany, feature repeated lines, dots, notches, and crosses.

Courtesy: Rory McKeown