Strange symbols may rewrite history.
Published In: New Scientist, 2026, v. 269, n. 3584. P. 4 1 of 3
Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3
Authored By: George, Alison 3 of 3
Abstract
The article discusses findings suggesting that Stone Age people in Europe, around 40,000 years ago, utilized a form of proto-writing comparable in complexity to early cuneiform. Researchers analyzed engravings on artefacts from the Aurignacian period, revealing systematic sequences of symbols that may have served as a means of communication or record-keeping. The study indicates that these early Homo sapiens developed a symbolic system that could have included calendric observations, with distinct patterns in the use of symbols across different objects. This research implies that the origins of writing may extend back tens of thousands of years earlier than previously thought. [Extracted from the article]
Additional Information
- Source:New Scientist. 2026/02, Vol. 269, Issue 3584, p4
- Document Type:Article
- Subject Area:Literature and Writing
- Publication Date:2026
- ISSN:0262-4079
- Accession Number:191872830
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