From number sense to number symbols. An archaeological perspective

Abstract

How and when did hominins move from the numerical cognition that we share with the rest of the animal world to number symbols? Objects with sequential markings have been used to store and retrieve numerical information since the beginning of the European Upper Palaeolithic (42 ka). An increase in the number of markings and complexity of coding is observed towards the end of this period. The application of new analytical techniques to a 44-42 ka old notched baboon fibula from Border Cave, South Africa, shows that notches were added to this bone at different times, suggesting that devices to store numerical information were in use before the Upper Palaeolithic. Analysis of a set of incisions on a 72-60 ka old hyena femur from the Les Pradelles Mousterian site, France, indicates, by comparison with markings produced by modern subjects under similar constraints, that the incisions on the Les Pradelles bone may have been produced to record, in a single session, homologous units of numerical information. This finding supports the view that numerical notations were in use among archaic hominins. Based on these findings, a testable five-stage scenario is proposed to establish how prehistoric cultures have moved from number sense to the use of number symbols.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The origins of numerical abilities'.

First data of Neandertal bird and carnivore exploitation in the Cantabrian Region (Axlor; Barandiaran excavations; Dima, Biscay, Northern Iberian Peninsula)

“…Neandertal carnivore exploitation seems to have mainly two aims: meat consumption and hide obtention, and seems to be the case in the limited record from the Iberian Peninsula (Table S8 ). However, carnivore bones were also used as retouchers during the Middle Paleolithic in Scladina 98 , Caverna delle Fate 99 and Fumane 100 and there is an intriguing example of a possible example of numeric notation on a spotted hyena femur from Les Pradelles 101 . In the latter case, whether the fact that the object in which these “notations” were done being a carnivore remain was purposefully sought is currently unknown.…”

Engraved bones from the archaic hominin site of Lingjing, Henan Province

“…The location of the micro-fractures on the periosteal ridges indicates that the lines were engraved from the longer to the shorter edge of the bone (Figure 5A; OSM 7). The sections of well-defined lines are asymmetrical to the right (see OSM 5), which, considering the motion of direction, indicates a right-handed engraver (Bosinski et al 2002; d’Errico et al 2018). Right-handed engravers generally create sequences of parallel lines by juxtaposing them from left to right (d’Errico 1992).…”

What Early Sapiens Cognition Can Teach Us: Untangling Cultural Influences on Human Cognition Across Time

“…It is attested to, for instance, in numerical cognition, in which a concept, once understood, paves the way for further elaboration (Miller and Paredes, 1996). Existing cultural achievements may also be co-opted for new cognitive purposes, a mechanism that is called cultural exaptation and has been detailed for number notations (d' Errico et al, 2017;d'Errico and Colagè, 2018). Even brain anatomy and gene pool are impacted by culture, through mechanisms such as cultural neural reuse and gene-culture coevolution: the former by recycling cortical maps, as in the case of literacy (Dehaene and Cohen, 2007;d'Errico and Colagè, 2018), the latter by exerting pressure on gene selection (Boyd and Richerson, 1988;Laland et al, 2010).…”