Ancient engravings from 100,000 years ago were actually jewelry instead of an early language.
April 20, 2026
Original Paper
The evolution of symbolic artefacts: How function shapes form
PsyArXiv · 8ynpa_v1
The Takeaway
Experimental reproductions of these prehistoric markings reveal a different story than previously thought. Archaeologists long assumed these scratches were the first attempts at writing or complex communication. The new tests show the markings were designed to be decorative or to signal a tribal identity. This change in perspective moves the timeline for human language and symbolic thought. It suggests that our ancestors cared about aesthetics and social status long before they cared about recording information. These markings were the Stone Age equivalent of a brand logo or a fashion statement.
From the abstract
Intentional markings on rock and bone surfaces constitute some of the earliest evidence of human symbolic behaviour, yet their original functions remain poorly understood and archaeologically contested. Here we present experimental work systematically examining how different functional contexts shape the cognitive trajectories of semiotic artefacts, and whether the resulting profiles can adjudicate between competing interpretations of the archaeological record. Participants reproduced engraved m