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Code hidden in Stone Age art may be the root of human writing

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Summary

Genevieve von Petzinger is a palaeoanthropologist from the University of Victoria who is conducting an unusual study of Stone Age cave art, focusing not on the large paintings of animals, but on the smaller geometric symbols found alongside them. Through her research, she has found that there are only 32 symbols used throughout Europe, with the same symbols being used in various parts of the world. She believes these symbols may represent a fundamental shift in our ancestors' mental skills, being the first formal writing system, and that the ability to represent a concept with an abstract symbol is uniquely human. Her research also reveals that modern humans were already using two-thirds of these signs when they first settled in Europe, suggesting they brought a mental dictionary of symbols with them. To learn more about the meaning of these symbols, von Petzinger is looking at the symbols found on portable objects, in caves on other continents and even those found underwater.

Q&As

What is the purpose of Genevieve von Petzinger's investigation of Europe's cave art?
Genevieve von Petzinger's investigation of Europe's cave art is to determine if the simple shapes represent a fundamental shift in our ancestors’ mental skills and the creation of the first human code.

What is the earliest known writing system?
The earliest known writing system is the 5000-year-old cuneiform script of the ancient city of Uruk in what is now Iraq.

What is the significance of the 32 shapes and lines found in Europe's cave art?
The significance of the 32 shapes and lines found in Europe's cave art is that they were used consistently for tens of thousands of years, suggesting that the markings had some sort of significance.

What is the evidence that suggests the symbols used in Stone Age art had some sort of meaning?
The evidence that suggests the symbols used in Stone Age art had some sort of meaning is that they were often found in combination with each other, and that they were used consistently for tens of thousands of years.

What is the potential significance of the symbols used in Stone Age art?
The potential significance of the symbols used in Stone Age art is that they could represent the first steps in the development of writing, and that they could have been used to encode and transmit information.

AI Comments

👍 This article provides an interesting look into the possibility that humans used symbols to communicate 40,000 years ago and how these symbols spread around the world.

👎 This article's claims about Stone Age symbols lacks sufficient evidence to make any real conclusions about the origin of human writing.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about how researchers have discovered that code hidden in Stone Age art may be the root of human writing. They found 32 shapes and lines that were repeated in various caves throughout Europe, and they believe that these symbols may have been used to communicate information with other humans.

Friend: That's fascinating! It makes me wonder how these symbols were used and how they evolved into writing.

Me: Yeah, that's what researchers are trying to figure out. They think that the symbols may have been used to encode and transmit information, but the meanings of the symbols remain a mystery. Even if we can figure out the meaning of some of the symbols, it might still be hard to understand the context in which they were used.

Action items

Research other ancient cultures and their writing systems to compare and contrast with the Stone Age symbols.
Create a timeline of the development of writing systems from the Stone Age to the present day.
Create a visual representation of the 32 symbols found in Europe's cave art to better understand their meaning and significance.

Technical terms

Cuneiform: an ancient system of writing used in Mesopotamia, consisting of wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets.
Hieroglyphs: a system of writing used in ancient Egypt, in which pictures were used to represent different words, sounds, or meanings.
Upper Palaeolithic: the period of the Stone Age from about 40,000 to 10,000 years ago, when modern humans first appeared in Europe.
Ochre: a yellow or reddish-brown earth pigment used in prehistoric cave paintings.
Tectiform: a post-like shape with a roof, found in some Stone Age art.
Penniform: a feather-like shape found in some Stone Age art.
Claviform: a P-shaped sign found in some Stone Age art.
Hand stencils: a hand-shaped sign found in some Stone Age art.
Finger fluting: parallel lines created by dragging fingers through soft cave deposits.
Thumb stencils: a thumb-shaped sign found in some Stone Age art.