A giant-deer phalanx recovered in 2019 from Einhornhöhle cave in Germany's Harz Mountains was reported in 2021. Dating to roughly 51,000 years, the bone carries deliberately incised lines arranged in stacked chevrons and is attributed to Neanderthals. The video argues that this pattern, like marks on objects from Blombos Cave and Hohle Fels, represents counting or trade tokens; researchers have not established those uses, and whether to call the engraving art remains debated.
51,000-year-old deer bone bears deliberate Neanderthal chevrons
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Key facts
- The find is a single giant-deer phalanx from Einhornhöhle in Germany's Harz Mountains, dated to about 51,000 years, with deliberately incised lines forming stacked chevrons.
- Archaeologists recovered the bone in 2019 and reported it in 2021; it is attributed to Neanderthals and interpreted as evidence of symbolic behaviour.
- The video argues that the Einhornhöhle pattern and comparable marks from Blombos Cave and Hohle Fels represent early counting systems or trade tokens.
- The evidence does not establish a mathematical or trading function, and calling the object art is a debated classification rather than an established mistake by archaeologists.
Sources
Giant deer bone of Einhornhöhle - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The Giant deer bone of Einhornhöhle is a piece of art made in the Middle Paleolithic period by Neanderthals. Dated to 51,000 years ago, the piece is the oldest ...
A 51,000-year-old carved bone is one of the world's oldest works of ...nbcnews.com
The discovery highlights that Neanderthals were capable of symbolic thought — something once attributed only to our own species.
A tiny bone is changing how we think about Neanderthals | CNNcnn.com
The tiny piece of bone that once belonged to a giant Ice Age deer features a chevron design and is changing how we think about Neanderthals.
A 51000-year-old engraved bone reveals Neanderthals ... - PubMedpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Here we report on the discovery of an at least 51,000-year-old engraved giant deer phalanx found at the former cave entrance of Einhornhöhle, ...
One of the world's first art objects? Tiny 51000-year-old deer bone ...theartnewspaper.com
A mysterious bone discovered in a cave in Germany inscribed with ten deep, slanting lines may be a work of art created by Neanderthals, say ...
Engraved deer bone - The Pastthe-past.com
The bone, which is the second phalanx of a giant deer, is 56.8mm long, 38.9mm wide, and 30.9mm thick, and weighs 36.1g. The front of the bone is ...
51000-Year-Old Engraved Bone is Neanderthal Artwork, ...sci.news
Archaeologists have uncovered a 51,000-year-old engraved giant deer phalanx in a cave in the Harz Mountains, Germany.
The engraved giant deer bone from Einhornhöhle and ...researchgate.net
An engraved giant deer phalanx from Einhornhöhle demonstrates Neanderthals' capacity for symbolic expressions before Homo sapiens arrived in ...
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