Summary
Research suggests that human writing might have begun 40,000 years earlier than previously thought. Scientists found symbols carved on ancient objects in Germany, which could mean early people used a form of writing to communicate.
Key Facts
- Researchers discovered symbols on objects in Germany, dating back 40,000 to 45,000 years.
- The symbols include lines, crosses, and dots on mammoth tusks and other artifacts.
- Until this discovery, writing was believed to have started around 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia.
- The precise meaning of the ancient symbols is not yet known.
- The artifacts are from a period just before modern humans moved to Europe.
- They analyzed over 3,000 symbols on 260 items to study the pattern of the symbols.
- The symbols show a density and predictability similar to ancient Mesopotamian scripts.
- The findings suggest Stone Age humans used these symbols for communication.
