In accordance with a examine from Durham College in England, strains, dots and “Y” markings have been discovered in additional than 600 Ice Age photographs on cave partitions and transportable objects in Europe.

“We had lengthy suspected that these sequences of marks subsequent to the depictions of recreation animals stated one thing about these animals, however we had no concept what they have been saying,” stated co-author Paul Pettitt, professor of paleolithic archeology at Durham College. He advised CNN on Thursday.

“(Recording habits) was important for paleolithic hunter-gatherers, who relied on them for survival, that’s, for mating and giving start, each when animals have been present in massive numbers in clusters,” he added.

The findings additionally reveal that individuals in Ice Age Europe used a calendar primarily based on lunar cycles primarily based on seasonal observations.

In accordance with Pettitt, there are greater than 30 non-figurative marks in paleolithic artwork, however examine co-author Bennett Bacon — a furnishings conservator and unbiased researcher who made the preliminary speculation and discovery — regarded on the three most typical indicators.

Statistical evaluation of a big dataset of information of animals that lived on the time, together with aurochs (now extinct cattle species), salmon, and horses allowed the researchers to match the months of the 12 months when the species was preoccupied with specific species. habits resembling mating, start or migration.

The workforce believes that the image “Y” stands for giving start, and mating intervals are indicated by the lengths of strains and dots that don’t include the letter “Y”. They didn’t discover any predictors for intervals of migration.

Alistair Pike, a professor of archaeological science on the College of Southampton in England, advised CNN that discovering sturdy proof of what European paleolithic cave artwork meant “is all the time like on the lookout for a needle in a haystack.”

“(This) examine is essentially the most compelling proof but of the systematic that means of the connection of dots, strains, and symbols to animals,” stated Pike, who was not concerned within the examine. He added that the examine confirmed how the quantity and placement of the markings “correlated” effectively with the variety of months between the start and mating seasons of various species.

Pettitt stated different researchers have questioned why the examine solely examined three sorts of indicators.