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www.pnas.org

A groundbreaking 2026 study reveals that early humans in Europe used a sophisticated system of geometric signs 40,000 years ago, with complexity matching early writing systems[1]. Researchers analyzed over 3,000 signs on 260 Aurignacian artifacts from the Swabian Jura region, dated between 43,000-34,000 years ago[2].

The signs - dots, lines, crosses, and notches - were carved into tools, figurines, and other objects. While not writing in the modern sense, these markings showed deliberate patterns. Figurines carried denser and more complex sequences than tools, and specific symbols were reserved for particular subjects - dots appeared on human and feline figures, while crosses marked animals like mammoths[3].

The statistical properties of these signs matched the information density of proto-cuneiform tablets from Mesopotamia, which emerged 40,000 years later[4]. “Sign sequences in protocuneiform script are also repetitive and the individual signs are repeated at a similar rate,” said Professor Christian Bentz of Saarland University[3:1].

The study suggests these weren’t mere decorations but represented an early system for storing and sharing information. The objects were portable, fitting “right in the palm of your hand,” according to archaeologist Ewa Dutkiewicz[4:1].

  1. PubMed - Humans 40,000 y ago developed a system of conventional signs ↩︎

  2. Science Daily - 40,000-year-old signs show humans were recording information long before writing ↩︎

  3. Sci.News - Early Humans May Have Invented System of Symbols Long Before Writing ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. Discover Magazine - 40,000-Year-Old Stone Age Symbols May Be a Precursor to Written Language ↩︎ ↩︎

  • Limerance@piefed.socialEnglish
    3·
    17 hours ago

    Interesting research for sure. They do a lot of statistical analysis on simple markings of objects found in Europe. They somewhat resemble the predecessors of cuneiform (Sumerian) writing systems. So it’s not letters or hieroglyphics, but something more simple like numbers, movements, or a memory aid of some kind. It would be interesting to see a comparison to old Asian, African, and Amerindian cultures.

    Our results illustrate that the statistical properties of sign sequences from the Swabian Aurignacian are very similar to those of the Uruk V protocuneiform period (roughly 3500 to 3350 BC). For the later protocuneiform periods of Uruk IV (roughly 3350 to 3200 BC) and Uruk III (roughly 3200 to 3000 BC), however, we already find a significant divergence toward higher information encoding potential.