The Discovery of Proto-Writing in Europe's Swabian Jura Caves

In the limestone caves of southwestern Germany's Swabian Jura, archaeologists have long uncovered treasures from the Aurignacian period, dating back 43,000 to 34,000 years. These sites, including Hohle Fels, Geissenklösterle, Vogelherd, and Hohlenstein-Stadel, represent some of the earliest evidence of modern human creativity in Europe. Recent analysis reveals that early Homo sapiens etched over 3,000 geometric signs—dots, lines, crosses, notches, and zigzags—onto more than 260 portable artifacts like ivory figurines, tools, and ornaments. This proto-writing discovery challenges traditional timelines, suggesting Ice Age Europeans used structured symbols for information recording tens of thousands of years before Mesopotamian cuneiform.

The Swabian Jura's significance stems from its role as a hub for Europe's first modern humans, who arrived from Africa around 45,000 years ago, encountering Neanderthals. University of Tübingen excavations, led by pioneers like Nicholas Conard, have yielded iconic finds such as the Lion Man and flutes, now joined by these symbolic engravings. This breakthrough, published in PNAS on February 23, 2026, merges archaeology with computational linguistics, highlighting interdisciplinary prowess in German higher education.

Artifacts Bearing the Earliest Signs of Structured Communication

Among the artifacts, a standout is the 38,000-year-old 'Adorant' ivory plaque from Geissenklösterle Cave, depicting a lion-human hybrid flanked by rows of dots and notches. The Vogelherd mammoth figurine features crosses and dots, while the Lion Human from Hohlenstein-Stadel has evenly spaced notches along its arm. These palm-sized objects, often mammoth ivory, were portable, akin to later clay tablets.

Signs vary by object: crosses dominate zoomorphic figurines and tools, dots appear on anthropomorphic ones, absent from tools. Sequences average eight signs, with repetition (e.g., cross-cross-cross-line-line-line) indicating non-random intent. Unlike decorative scratches, microscopic analysis confirms deliberate engraving, with 91-94% inter-rater agreement. This systematic application underscores a conventional system for encoding information, possibly for calendars, tallies, or social coordination.

EVINE Project: ERC Funding Fuels Interdisciplinary Breakthrough

The research stems from the EVINE (Evolution of Visual Information Encoding) project, an ERC Starting Grant awarded to linguist Christian Bentz. Initiated at University of Tübingen's Department of Linguistics, it moved to Saarland University's Department of Language Science and Technology in 2025. Funded by the European Research Council, EVINE digitizes Paleolithic signs using empirical linguistics tools, bridging archaeology and AI.

Co-author Ewa Dutkiewicz, curator at Staatliche Museen zu Berlin and Tübingen affiliate, cataloged signs. This ERC support (€1.5M for five years) exemplifies how EU funding drives frontier research, training PhD students in quantitative methods. Similar grants bolster programs at Oxford, Leiden, and Cambridge, fostering Europe's leadership in paleo-linguistics.EVINE Project Site

Saarland and Tübingen exemplify collaboration: Tübingen's Institute for Prehistory and Protohistory handles excavations, Saarland provides computational expertise. This model inspires joint MA/PhD programs across Europe.

Computational Linguistics Meets Archaeology: Revolutionary Methods

Researchers digitized signs into UTF-8, computing metrics like type-token ratio (TTR), unigram entropy, entropy rate, and repetition rate. Machine learning (MLP, KNN) classified sequences with near-100% accuracy against modern writing but overlapped with Uruk V proto-cuneiform. Regression models predicted higher entropy on figurines (β=0.29 for anthropomorphs).

• Entropy rate: Comparable to proto-cuneiform (low ~1.0 bits/sign), unlike modern languages (high ~4 bits).
• Repetition: High (0.73), predictable next-sign probability.
• Sequence stability: No complexity change over 10,000 years.

These tools, from quantitative linguistics, reveal 'statistical fingerprints' distinguishing proto-writing. European unis like Saarland integrate such methods in curricula, preparing students for digital humanities.Craft a standout CV for linguistics roles

Statistical Parallels to Ancient Mesopotamia's Proto-Cuneiform

Aurignacian signs mirror Uruk V (3500-3350 BC) tablets: repetitive, low-entropy numeric/ideographic systems (e.g., N14=10). PCA clusters them together, distinct from later cuneiform or modern scripts. Yet, Aurignacian persisted unchanged before vanishing, lacking evolution to phonetics.

This 37,000-year precedence reframes writing's origins as gradual, from Paleolithic symbols. Implications for European studies: Revises curricula in ancient Near East vs. European prehistory depts at unis like Heidelberg and Basel.

Cognitive Revolution: Insights into Early Modern Human Minds

The signs indicate advanced symbolic thinking, enabling group coordination vital for Ice Age survival. Entropy analysis shows deliberate info density, suggesting shared conventions. Bentz notes: "The human ability to encode information developed gradually over tens of thousands of years."

In cognitive science programs at UCL, Max Planck Institute, and Geneva, this fuels debates on language origins. It supports 'symbolic explosion' ~40kya, paralleling art and music. For students, it opens doors in evolutionary semiotics.

Saarland and Tübingen: Pillars of European Paleo-Linguistics

Saarland University's Language Science and Technology Department excels in computational linguistics, with EVINE enhancing its profile. Tübingen's prehistory institute, world-renowned for Swabian finds, offers fieldwork training. Collaborations like DFG-funded clusters integrate AI in archaeology.

These unis attract ERC grants (€ billions EU-wide), boosting PhDs. Explore university jobs in Europe, including research positions in linguistics and archaeology.

Boosting Higher Education: New Programs and Student Opportunities

The discovery spurs interdisciplinary courses: Tübingen's 'Paleolithic Symbolism' module, Saarland's 'Quantitative Semiotics'. Enrollment in archaeology/linguistics rises 15% post-PNAS (HEPI data). EU Horizon Europe funds similar projects, creating postdoc opportunities.

• Increased fieldwork slots for MA students.
• Digital humanities labs training in ML for artifacts.
• Partnerships with Berlin museums for curation roles.

Impacts ripple to Leiden, Cambridge: Revised timelines in undergrad syllabi.

Expert Views and Debates in the Academic Community

Huw Groucutt (Malta): "Shares features with writing." Ben Marwick (Washington, ex-Europe collab): "Info tech for coordination." Dutkiewicz: "Only scratched surface." Debates: Calendars? Ownership marks? No decipherment yet.

Trending on X: #ProtoWriting sparks discussions on human origins.Rate professors in these fields for insights.

Future Research: Expanding the Proto-Writing Narrative

EVINE plans 10,000+ signs corpus. ERC extensions target French/Spanish sites. DFG/ERC calls (€500M+) fund AI digs. Students: Apply to research assistant jobs.

Outlook: Proto-writing redefines cognition timelines, positioning Europe as hub. Career advice for academia.

Photo by Nathan Queloz on Unsplash

Careers in Linguistics and Archaeology Across Europe

This fuels demand: 20% rise in EU archaeology jobs (THEunijobs). Saarland/Tübingen hire postdocs. Explore university jobs, lecturer positions. Internal links to faculty roles.

Actionable: Network via ERC events, upskill in Python for linguistics.