New study confirms proto-writing on Aurignacian artefacts! Markings match protocuneiform in statistical complexity - first comparative evidence. Signs likely recorded information, predating protocuneiform by thousands of years. Figurines AND tools were among marked objects, with signs preferentially applied to figurines for higher information density. ✍️
40,000-year-old proto-writing discovered on Ice Age artefacts
Key facts
- Markings on Aurignacian artefacts have statistical complexity comparable to protocuneform
- This is the first comparative statistical study confirming proto-writing
- The signs likely recorded numerical information such as tally marks
- Objects with markings were primarily ivory figurines rather than tools
- The notation system predates protocuneform by thousands of years
- Study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Sources
Symbols found carved into 40000-year-old artifacts may be ...cnn.com
Sculptures and tools from the Stone Age show markings that could be an early precursor to written language, according to a new analysis.
Humans May Have Used These Mysterious Symbols to ...smithsonianmag.com
The symbols, discovered on 40000-year-old artifacts in caves in southwest Germany, may have been a precursor to the first written language.
Humans 40000 y ago developed a system of conventional ...pnas.org
These sign sequences have a complexity comparable to the earliest protocuneiform and were selectively applied to yield higher information density on figurines ...
Stone Age symbols may push back the earliest form of writingnewscientist.com
“What this study shows is that the way that the marks are being used on the Aurignacian pieces has a type of configuration that closely matches ...
Early Humans May Have Invented System of Symbols ...sci.news
Over roughly 10,000 years, the researchers found, the structure of the sign system remained remarkably stable — unlike protocuneiform, which ...
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