A cache of ostrich eggshell fragments discovered by archaeologists in South Africa could be instrumental in understanding how humans approached art and symbolism as early as the Stone Age. The eggshells, engraved with geometric designs, may indicate the existence of a symbolic communication system around 60,000 years ago among African hunter-gatherers
At a site known asthe Diepkloof Rock Shelter, a team led by
archaeologist Pierre-Jean Texier
discovered fragments of 25 ostrich eggs that date back 55,000 to 65,000 years. In an online paper published in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the archeologists revealed that the eggshell fragments were etched with several kinds of motifs, including parallel lines with cross-hatches and repetitive non-parallel lines
[ScienceNow]. The scientists are confident
that the markings are almost certainly a form of messaging -- of graphic communication [BBC].
Further study of the fragments revealed that a hole had been drilled ...
