Prehistoric Tokens Still Used by our Ancestors Long After the Invention of Writing

What did our ancient ancestors use before writing? That's a good question and now, archaeologists have uncovered some new artifacts that may answer that question. They've found a large number of clay tokens that were used as records of trade.

The tokens themselves are small clay pieces in a range of simple shapes. They're thought to have been used as a rudimentary bookkeeping system in prehistoric times. Surprisingly, though, archaeologists have found that people continued to use these tokens even after the advent of writing, which could be compared to the modern day continued use of pens despite the invention of the word processor.

"Complex writing didn't stop the use of the abacus, just as the digital age hadn't wiped out pencils and pens," said John MacGinnis, who led the research, in a news release. "In fact, in a literate society there are multiple channels of recording information that can be complementary to each other. In this case both prehistoric clay tokens and cuneiform writing used together."

The different types of tokens are thought to have represented units of various commodities, such as livestock and grain. These tokens would be exchanged and then sealed in more clay as a permanent record of the trade. Cuneiform writing was a more advanced accounting technology and by combining it with the tokens, there was a record-keeping system of great sophistication.

"The tokens provided a system of moveable numbers that allowed for stock to be moved and accounts to be modified and updated without committing to writing; a system that doesn't require everyone involved to be literate," said MacGinnis.

The tokens range from basic spheres to discs and triangles to ones that resemble oxhide and bull heads. While the majority of the cuneiform tablets found with the tokens deal with grain trade, though, researchers are still trying to determine what the tokens represent.

"One of my dreams is that one day we'll dig up the table of an accountant who was making a meticulous inventory of goods and systems, and we will be able to crack the token system's codes," said MacGinnis. "The inventions of recording systems are milestones in the human journey, and any finds which contribute to the understanding of how they came about makes a basic contribution to mapping the progress of mankind."

The findings were published in the Cambridge Archaeological Journal.