The Oldest piece of writing to be recorded in the South African

History Research done by:

The Girls of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls

Where was the first piece of writing

found?• The first piece of writing recorded so far in South Africa was found on the Blombos Caves.

• It was written on two pieces of ochre chunks.

• Engraved on it were abstract designs, on a 75,000-year-old bead .

More information...• Ochre or Ocher is term for both a

golden-yellow or light yellow brown color and for a form of earth pigment which produces the color.

• It has been discovered at the site and dates to c. 140,000 years ago. The engraved pieces of ochre dated 70000 BC are regarded as the oldest known artwork. but much simpler than the cave paintings and figurines.

But...

• In 1999, scientists found engravings on ostrich shells in S.A that dates back to about 60,000 years ago. These shells show that this maybe a message from the earliest human settlers since the same symbols are repeatedly written.

• Could this be the earliest signs of humans using graphic art to communicate? This is a question that we are all left to figure out.

Here’s a picture: