Summary:
- Archaeologists have discovered ancient carved signs that suggest Paleolithic humans, who lived at least 40,000 years ago, may have invented an early form of writing or symbolic communication.
- The carved signs, found on limestone blocks in a cave in southern France, appear to be a precursor to written language, with some symbols repeating in different contexts, indicating they may have represented specific concepts or ideas.
- This discovery pushes back the origins of writing or symbolic communication by thousands of years, challenging the previously held belief that writing emerged much later in human history.