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AI image of ancient humans communicating with primitive language and gestures. Source: fotogurmespb/Adobe Stock

Language Developed 8 Times Earlier Than Previously Thought, Says New Book

A landmark new book that has researched evolutionary and linguistic development of prehistoric humans, has found that language might be older almost 8 times over what was previously believed, i.e., 1...
The drum is one of the earliest methods of ancient communication.  Source: zolotareva_elina / Adobe Stock

The Evolution of Ancient Communication Methods

Throughout history, communication wasn’t as effortless as it is today. In today’s world, you can connect with people in every part of the world within seconds and access an almost infinite amount of...
Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson has been remembered as one of the greatest naval commanders in British history. Painting by Arthur William Devis. Source: Public domain

Admiral Nelson's Defiance Inspired the Saying “To Turn a Blind Eye”

The expression “turning a blind eye” denotes the deliberate choice to ignore or overlook something, especially wrongdoing or undesirable information. While deeply ingrained within the English...
A Chasqui roadrunner playing his pututu. Source: Public domain

Inca Chasqui Relay Roadrunners Revolutionized Communication

In an era devoid of the internet and telephone, the ancient Inca—reigning from the 15th to 16th centuries—turned to the Chasqui runners to provide direct communication. Operating in the Andean...
Representational image of a magical Viking rune or Viking Code. Source: Artur / Adobe Stock

Unlocking the Cryptic Viking Code Using Runic Writing and Ancient DNA

Runic script is an alphabetic system based on a non-alphabetical order row. This means that it has letters, like in many languages, but the letters are not arranged in a standard alphabetical order...
Dance platform at a modern but traditional Inti Raymi celebration. Early Andeans created a dance floor to imitate the sound of thunder when danced on. Source: Youenn JACQUIN/Adobe Stock

Ancient Andean Thundering Dance Floor Uncovered in Peru

An open-air “sounding” dance floor in Peru has been discovered, designed to mimic a drum-like sound, perhaps for a thunder god when stomped upon! Built sometime between 1000 and 1400 AD, the site...
Inca quipu. Source: Claus Ableiter / GNU Free Documentation License.

Unraveling the Mystery of the Inca's Knotted Strings (Video)

The Inca Empire left behind many mysteries that continue to intrigue and captivate historians and archaeologists today. One of these mysteries is the Quipu , a unique way of communicating and keeping...
Mesoamerican warrior. Source: Art Gallery / Adobe Stock.

Voices of Ancestors: Listen to the Sound of 14 Ancient Languages (Video)

Language is a powerful tool that allows us to communicate with one another across time and space. Through language , we are able to share our stories, our ideas, and our cultures with others. In this...
Swear words in a speech bubble. Source: Yuliia / Adobe Stock

14 Old Swear Words That Should Totally Make a Comeback

Cussing has been around since the time we could stub our toes. Though we’re all familiar with the swear words of the modern age, what about swear words from before our time? Believe it or not, there...
Researchers generated a virtual sequence to unfold a sealed letter protected via letterlocking. Source: Unlocking History Research Group / CC BY 4.0

Securing Ancient Secrets: The Fascinating History of Letterlocking

Communication through written word existed long before the days of text messages and DMs, and even then some kind of security was needed to protect people’s secrets. When we think of a handwritten...
Study shows prehistoric man used hand gestures to communicate. Source: Zemler / Adobe Stock

Prehistoric Humans Didn’t Grunt Their Ideas - They Used Hand Gestures

A new study has shown that the origins of human communication began with hand gestures, and not sounds. The research team discovered this after tasking volunteers to describe words using grunts and...
Representation of the Hydraulic Telegraph of Aeneas. Source: Kotsanas Museum of Ancient Greek Technology

The Hydraulic Telegraph of Aeneas – Long-Distance Communication of Antiquity

Advances in technology have drastically changed the way we live today compared to those of our ancient past. One type of technology that many of us may take for granted is the ability to communicate...
Dinosaur in Mexico: New “Talking” Species Used Low Frequency Sounds

Dinosaur in Mexico: New “Talking” Species Used Low Frequency Sounds

The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), Mexico, a part of the Ministry of Culture, along with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), launched a project in 2013, to “...
The drum has been used since ancient times for rituals and communication. Source: zolotareva_elina / Adobe Stock.

Primeval Communication and the Beat of the Drum

Human beings need complex communication, no matter if it's through speech or music . The invention of drums has become an essential factor in all musical forms of artistic expression. It is through...
Baboon Sounds May Hold the Key to Understanding the Formation of Human Language

Baboon Sounds May Hold the Key to Understanding the Formation of Human Language

A new study proposes that baboon grunts and barks might have more in common with human speech than most people believe. Researchers have noted that these monkeys routinely produce five of the...
Hidden in the Hieroglyphs: Is Ancient Egyptian a Lost Language?

Hidden in the Hieroglyphs: Is Ancient Egyptian a Lost Language?

The ancient Egyptian language is not just one set of symbols which people find on papyri bookmarks at museums. It's a complicated system of symbols which changed over time. Moreover, the words found...
Cro-Magnon man communicating with each other and producing cave drawings

The Origins of Human Language: One of the Hardest Problems in Science

How human language began has been a question pestering researchers for centuries. One of the biggest issues with this topic is that empirical evidence is still lacking despite our great advances in...
800-year-old message carved into Rune Stick Shows Ancient Code still used in Middle Ages

800-year-old message carved into Rune Stick Shows Ancient Code still used in Middle Ages

An 800-year-old enigmatic message has been found inscribed on a small wooden stick which was dug out of the ground in Odense, Denmark. The delicate stick is marked with 13 th century runic...
Aboriginal Sticks - Communication System

Aboriginal message sticks and an ancient system of communication

Throughout Australia, it is said that there are over 200 Aboriginal languages and 600 dialects, but apparently no writing system for recording the spoken word. How then were messages transmitted...