Why are these 32 symbols found in caves all over Europe | Genevieve von Petzinger | TED

Recent questions

• What is the significance of ancient cave art?

  Ancient cave art found in European caves like Ojo Guareña in Spain has drawn people in for centuries. These engravings and paintings provide insights into the development of creativity, imagination, and abstract thought in early humans. The exploration of caves like Cudon in Spain, with red paintings in unexplored sections, showcases the challenging conditions our ancestors faced, requiring crawling and limited space for photography. The research on early European art sheds light on the evolution of graphic communication and the transmission of messages beyond a single moment.

• What types of communication were prevalent in early human societies?

  Graphic communication was one of the three main types of communication in early human societies. This form of communication allowed messages to be transmitted and preserved beyond a single moment, contributing to the development of creativity and abstract thought in humans. Ice Age rock art sites across Europe showcase a variety of communication forms, including animals, abstract shapes, and geometric signs. Geometric signs, in particular, outnumber animal and human images, indicating their importance in early graphic communication.

• How widespread are geometric signs in Ice Age rock art?

  Geometric signs are prevalent in Ice Age rock art sites across Europe, with extensive fieldwork uncovering new signs at 75% of the sites visited. Despite this, only 32 geometric signs have been identified across Europe over a span of 30,000 years. These signs repeated across space and time, with some having widespread distribution while others were limited to specific territories. The presence of geometric signs challenges the notion of abstract written characters in early graphic communication.

• What do Ice Age rock art sites in Europe depict?

  Ice Age rock art sites across Europe depict a variety of images, including animals, abstract shapes, and geometric signs. These sites provide insights into early human creativity, imagination, and abstract thought. The prevalence of geometric signs in these sites suggests their importance in graphic communication during the Ice Age. Despite the diversity of images found in these caves, geometric signs outnumber animal and human depictions, highlighting their significance in early human societies.

• How did early humans communicate through art?

  Early humans communicated through art by creating graphic representations of real-world objects and using counting marks. The development of graphic communication in Ice Age Europe likely involved stylized representations of objects and the use of geometric signs. These signs were repeated across different sites and time periods, with some having widespread distribution while others were limited to specific territories. The presence of geometric signs challenges traditional notions of abstract written characters and sheds light on the complexity of early human communication.