40,000-year-old symbols reveal a missing chapter of human history

Researchers analysed more than 3,000 etchings on 260 bone and ivory objects from caves in the Swabian Jura and identified 22 recurring signs dating roughly 43,000–34,000 years ago, forming a structured symbolic system that is not claimed to be writing but shows clear repetition and information patterns.

Archaeologists report that over 3,000 etchings on 260 prehistoric objects form repeated mark systems dating roughly 43,000–34,000 years ago. Many items were recovered from caves in the Swabian Jura of southwestern Germany, including a small mammoth figurine from Vogelherd Cave. The collection includes flutes, tools, pendants and human‑animal hybrid figurines carved in bone and ivory. Researchers describe the markings as a structured set of recurring signs rather than random decoration. Key findings: - More than 3,000 etchings across 260 objects were analysed by the research team. - The objects date from about 43,000 to 34,000 years ago and come from sites in the Swabian Jura, including Vogelherd, Geißenklösterle and Hohlenstein‑Stadel. - Researchers identified 22 recurring symbols, such as V‑shaped notches, lines, crosses and dots. - Figurines tended to carry higher "information density," with more deliberate symbols per surface area than tools or ornaments. - Statistical comparisons showed patterns of repetition and structure that the team found comparable in some measures to early proto‑cuneiform, while noting the carvings are not equated with writing. Summary: The study extends evidence of systematic symbolic marking among Upper Paleolithic hunter‑gatherers and suggests these communities used external signs for recording or conveying information beyond speech. The researchers emphasise that the concrete meanings of the signs remain unknown and that the work did not produce a decipherment. Researchers continue to analyse and catalogue these and other objects to better understand the patterns and contexts involved.