A Middle Palaeolithic engraved artefact from Qafzeh Cave, Israel

A Levallois core, recovered from a hominid-bearing layer in Qafzeh Cave, Israel, exhibits incisions on its conical face. Taphonomic and contextual considerations suggest that these are non-utilitarian engravings of an anthropic origin. Dated to c. 100 ky ago, this artefact is one of the oldest symbolic pieces found in Middle Palaeolithic contexts. The growing body of data relating to .)1 this and similar objects suggests that Middle Palaeolithic hominids had symboling abilities, which they employed more often then previously believe