Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – A recent discovery offers further evidence that our ancient ancestors possessed greater intelligence than previously believed.
At multiple archaeological sites in southern Africa, researchers have uncovered hundreds of unusual fragments of ostrich eggshells. These shells, which date back over 60,000 years, were engraved by Homo sapiens who once inhabited the region.
A new study led by the University of Bologna has revealed for the first time that these engravings were not random or improvised; instead, they followed consistent and highly organized geometric principles. The research demonstrates a genuine cognitive organization in these designs, characterized by parallelism, orthogonality, and the repetition of lines and regular patterns.
“These signs reveal a surprisingly structured, geometric way of thinking,” says Silvia Ferrara, Professor at the University of Bologna’s Department of Classical Philology and Italian Studies, who coordinated the study.
“We are talking about people who did not simply draw lines, but organized them according to recurring principles—parallelisms, grids, rotations and systematic repetitions: a visual grammar in embryo.”
Ostrich eggshells were likely used as water containers, according to recent research. Scientists conducted a quantitative and systematic study of 112 fragments from two South African archaeological sites—Diepkloof and Klipdrift—and one site in Namibia, Apollo 11. By employing geometric and statistical analysis techniques not previously applied to these artifacts, the researchers were able to reconstruct the detailed lines, angles, and trajectories of the markings found on the shells.
Engravings are organized, consistent, and demonstrate mastery of geometric relationships
The findings indicate that over 80% of the analyzed configurations show consistent spatial patterns. These include repeated use of angles close to 90 degrees and groups of parallel lines. More intricate designs—such as hatched bands, grids, and diamond-shaped motifs—demonstrate advanced cognitive processes like rotation, translation, repetition, and embedding. This last operation refers to building hierarchical levels of signs within a single surface.
“These engravings are organized and consistent, and show mastery of geometric relationships,” Ferrara explains. “There is not only a process of repeating signs: there is real visuo-spatial planning, as if the authors already had an overall image of the figure in mind before engraving it.”
Credit: University of Bologna
In addition to exploring the potential meanings behind the markings, the authors emphasize that the primary significance of their study lies in understanding the cognitive abilities that enabled the creation of these decorations. The capacity to design visual patterns based on specific rules is highlighted as a significant marker of abstract thinking, representing an important milestone in the development of human cognition.
“Our analysis shows that Homo sapiens 60,000 years ago already possessed a remarkable ability to organise visual space according to abstract principles,” notes Valentina Decembrini, PhD student at the University of Bologna’s Department of Classical Philology and Italian Studies and first author of the study. “Transforming simple forms into complex systems by following defined rules is a deeply human trait that has characterised our history over millennia, from the creation of decorations to the development of symbolic systems and, ultimately, writing.”
See also: More Archaeology News
“Transforming simple forms into complex systems by following defined rules is a deeply human trait that has characterized our history over millennia, from the creation of decorations to the development of symbolic systems and, ultimately, writing.”
The study was published in the journal PLOS One
Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
