Around 40,000 years ago, Paleolithic people inscribed bone with symbols that appear to be part of some sort of writing system ...

The origins of writing aren’t set in stone. The ancient cave peoples weren’t as illiterate as portrayed in popular media.

Researchers have uncovered links between the precursor to the world’s oldest writing system and the mysterious, intricate designs left behind by engraved cylindrical seals that were rolled across clay ...

The birth of writing could be 40,000 years earlier than previously thought after scientists found etchings in a German cave.

Until now it was thought that writing developed in Mesopotamia around 3,000 BCE, followed by hieroglyphics in Egypt and later in China and Mesoamerica. "The Stone Age sign sequences are an early ...

The mystery of cuneiform, the world’s oldest writing system, remained unsolved for centuries. It wasn’t until the mid-19th century, driven by groundbreaking discoveries in Mesopotamia, that a ...

Just outside the Syrian city of Aleppo, archaeologists have discovered what may be the oldest example of alphabetic writing ever found. Ahmad Sofi via Unsplash UPDATE: This story has been updated to ...

Corrections & clarifications: An earlier version of this story contained inaccurate or incomplete facts about the history of language. Language is an essential part of human communication, allowing ...