this post was submitted on 21 May 2025
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[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 31 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Isnt this just because pants dont leave a lot of traces after tens of thousands of years, while a bone flute is much more likely to do so?

[–] blargle@sh.itjust.works 16 points 3 days ago (2 children)

This is kind of how I feel about the idea of the very first writing being chiseled in stone or engraved on clay tablets. If there was a much older civilization that never did that but invented paper and pencils instead, we'd probably never know it.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Writing on the ground is probably No. 1 then maybe carving with a stone into wood/bark as No. 2 but yeah, lots of stuff we will never see or know about because they werent preserved.

[–] deo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Or because it's not immediately recognizable as writing. I wonder how long it would have taken archeologists to figure out the quipu was actually a knot-based writing system without the Spanish mentioning their use by the Incas in their records of the invasion.

The quipu is very cool, never heard of it before. Thanks for sharing :)

[–] Geobloke@lemm.ee 1 points 2 days ago

That's assuming that people like Halfdan don't exist ever

[–] mobotsar@sh.itjust.works 19 points 3 days ago (1 children)

That and that people used to wear other sorts of garments that weren't such a pain to make.

Loincloth people unite!

[–] driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br 2 points 2 days ago

The earliest proof of clothing we have are needles that survive the pass of time, but not the clothes they made.