Blombos Ocher Plaque

Blombos Ocher Plaque

Exhibit item

Date of discovery: 

1991

Discovered by: 

Christopher Henshilwood

Age: 

About 77,000 - 75,000 years old

Site: 

Blombos Cave, Republic of South Africa

Recording information on objects

This ocher plaque has marks that may have been used to count or store information. A close-up look at the object shows that the markings are clearly organized. This systematic pattern suggests to some researchers that the markings represent information rather than decoration.

Image Credit: Chip Clark, Smithsonian Institution