Researchers Identify Prehistoric Symbol Systems Predating Writing

An international team led by Christian Bentz and Ewa Dutkiewicz analyzed more than 3,000 engraved signs on 260 objects dated 34,000–45,000 years, publishing results in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They report Paleolithic sign sequences show statistical properties and information density comparable to proto-cuneiform, suggesting symbolic encoding predates Mesopotamian writing by tens of thousands of years. The study applied digitized databases, statistical modelling and machine learning.