- Middle Paleolithic peoples engraved deliberate patterns on stone tools as early as 100,000 years ago—far earlier than previously believed.
- Discovery: A Levallois core from Manot Cave, Israel, features 64 precise incisions forming a radiating fan pattern, suggesting intentional artistry.
- Cognitive implications: The engravings challenge the notion that symbolic thinking emerged only 40,000 years ago, revealing a deeper history of human creativity.
- Cross-species creativity: Both Homo sapiens and Neanderthals engaged in this behavior, indicating abstract thought wasn’t exclusive to modern humans.
The revealing patterns on ancient stones
For decades, archaeologists believed the first sparks of human creativity ignited around 40,000 years ago, when cave paintings and figurines appeared in Europe. But a groundbreaking study led by Dr. Mae Goder-Goldberger of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem shatters that timeline, revealing that our ancestors were artists long before—etching intricate designs into stone tools as far back as 100,000 years ago. Published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, the research uncovers deliberate engravings on artifacts from the Levant, proving that symbolic expression began much earlier than the so-called "creative explosion" of the Upper Paleolithic.
The most compelling evidence comes from Manot Cave in Israel’s Western Galilee, where a Levallois core—a stone tool used for flaking—bears 64 meticulously carved incisions forming a radiating fan pattern. These marks, analyzed using high-resolution 3D scanning, show consistent depth, width, and geometric alignment, ruling out accidental or utilitarian origins. Crucially, some engravings were cut through by later tool modifications, proving they were made during the tool’s use—not as an afterthought.
Similar patterns appeared on artifacts from Qafzeh and a stone plaquette from Quneitra, where incisions followed the natural contours of the stone, suggesting a deliberate aesthetic intent. In contrast, tools from Amud Cave—linked to Neanderthals—featured shallow, overlapping marks, likely from practical use. The distinction was confirmed through 3D mapping, which measured incision depth, width, and angles with microscopic precision.
Rewriting human creative history
These findings upend conventional narratives about the origins of art. The engravings date to between 54,000 and 100,000 years ago—placing them squarely in the Middle Paleolithic, a period long dismissed as devoid of symbolic expression. Even more striking, the creators included both early Homo sapiens (Qafzeh) and Neanderthals (Amud), proving that abstract thinking wasn’t unique to our species.
“Abstract thinking is a cornerstone of human cognitive evolution,” Dr. Goder-Goldberger explains. “These engravings highlight a society with advanced conceptual abilities.” The research suggests creativity didn’t emerge suddenly but evolved gradually over tens of thousands of years, embedded in the daily lives of ancient toolmakers.
The history of art in the BC era spans millennia, beginning with prehistoric cave paintings (c. 40,000–10,000 BCE), such as those in Lascaux, France, depicting animals and rituals. The Neolithic period (c. 10,000–3000 BCE) saw the rise of megalithic structures like Stonehenge and early pottery.
In Mesopotamia (c. 3500–500 BCE), Sumerians and Babylonians created ziggurats, cylinder seals, and narrative reliefs, while ancient Egypt (c. 3100–30 BCE) developed monumental sculpture, hieroglyphics, and tomb paintings emphasizing the afterlife. The Minoans (c. 2000–1450 BCE) produced vibrant frescoes, and Mycenaeans (c. 1600–1100 BCE) built fortified palaces.
Classical Greece (c. 800–323 BCE) revolutionized art with naturalistic sculpture (e.g., Kouros figures) and temple architecture (e.g., the Parthenon). The Hellenistic period (323–31 BCE) introduced emotional realism. Meanwhile, China’s Shang (c. 1600–1046 BCE) and Zhou (1046–256 BCE) dynasties crafted intricate bronzes, and Mesoamerican cultures like the Olmecs (c. 1200–400 BCE) carved colossal stone heads.
Lingering mysteries
Despite the significant of ancient stone tool artistry, the current study has limitations. Only five artifacts were analyzed, and some lack precise archaeological context. The Manot core, for instance, was found in a mixed layer, complicating its cultural interpretation. While the engravings clearly required planning, their exact meaning—whether symbolic, ritual, or simply proto-aesthetic—remains speculative.
Yet the implications are profound. These markings bridge a gap in our understanding of human cognition, showing that the urge to create—to leave a mark—has been intrinsic to humanity far longer than we ever imagined. As Dr. Goder-Goldberger’s team concludes, “The capacity for visual expression was present long before the first cave paintings, waiting to be rediscovered in the silent language of stone.”
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