Mystery markings in 20,000-year-old drawings decoded for first time

Ice Age hunter-gatherers used markings of animals prey to store information about the behaviour of species crucial to their survival

(PA)

Mysterious markings seen in ancient drawings have finally been decoded by British scientists who claim to have found evidence of “writing” dating back at least 14,000 years earlier than previously thought.

A new study reveals that Ice Age hunter-gatherers were using markings combined with drawings of their animal prey to store and communicate “sophisticated” information about the behaviour of species crucial to their survival at least 20,000 years ago.

The researchers explained that as the marks, found in more than 600 images on cave walls and objects across Europe, record information numerically and reference a calendar rather than recording speech, they cannot be called “writing” in the sense of the pictographic and cuneiform systems of early writing that emerged in Sumer from 3,400 BC onwards.