13:47 22 February 2010
Our ancestors seem to have had a regular system of 26 symbols, which may have been the origins of written language. First discovered in
France, these symbols crop up throughout the prehistoric world,
leading some to wonder whether they originated in Africa and travelled
with early humans as they migrated across the globe.
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A visitor looks at the walls of the Great Hall of the Bulls, Lascaux II cave, Dordogne, France. The beautiful prehistoric paintings have, until now, deservedly taken the limelight. It is only recently that researchers have started looking at the strange squiggles, semicircles, lines and zigzags that surround them. These may hold the key to understanding early forms of human communication.
(Image: Sisse Brimberg/Getty)