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What if the world's oldest known monumental wooden sculpture was created by people far more sophisticated than modern assumptions about prehistory suggest? The Shigir Idol is one of the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries ever made. Carved from a single larch trunk and covered in mysterious…

What if an entire language from one of Europe's earliest civilizations has survived on clay tablets, yet no one can understand what it says? Linear A is one of the most important undeciphered writing systems in the world. Used by the ancient Minoan civilization on…

What if one of the world's earliest civilizations left behind thousands of written symbols, yet no one can read a single sentence? The Indus Valley Script is one of archaeology's greatest unsolved mysteries. Found on seals, tablets, pottery, and other artifacts from the ancient Indus…

What if a stone block discovered in Mexico contains the oldest known writing system in the Americas? The Cascajal Block is one of the most important and controversial archaeological discoveries in the study of ancient writing. Covered with dozens of unusual symbols, it has been…

What if a collection of symbols carved into ancient artifacts represents one of the earliest writing systems ever created? The Vinča symbols are a series of mysterious markings found on pottery, figurines, tablets, and other artifacts associated with the Vinča culture of southeastern Europe. Dating…