Carving the Mind: Middle Paleolithic Engravings and the Dawn of Symbolic Thought

New Evidence from the Levant Challenges Traditional Views on Early Human Cognition

The Search for Early Symbolic Expression

For decades, archaeologists have debated the origins of symbolic thought in early humans. The ability to carve meaning into the physical world—to inscribe symbols, create art, or mark objects with intent—has long been considered a defining characteristic of Homo sapiens. But at what point did this transition occur…