Messages from the Stone Age

Our ancestors seem to have had a regular system of 26 symbols, which may have been the origins of written language. First discovered in France, these symbols crop up throughout the prehistoric world, leading some to wonder whether they originated in Africa and travelled with early humans as they migrated across the globe.


Stone Age jottings


A potent grouping

Dots and lines are some of the most commonly found symbols. Dots of varying sizes appear at 42 per cent of French sites and lines were found at over 70 per cent of sites studied and appeared from 30,000 years ago until 10,000 years ago.

Saber más: The writing on the cave wall New Scientist Magazine issue 2748.