: This paper compares American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL) with spoken English and Spanish. It investigates iconicity —how much a "sign" (word or gesture) physically resembles what it means (e.g., the sign for "drink" looking like drinking from a cup).
: It suggests that early humans had a shared, intentional system of graphic communication long before formal writing systems like cuneiform existed. You can read the full study at PNAS . : This paper compares American Sign Language (ASL)
: It explains why a word or image isn't just a thing—it's a tool for meaning that relies entirely on the observer's mind. You can explore a breakdown of his theories at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy . 2. The Evolution of Human Communication (Archaeology) You can read the full study at PNAS
3. Comparing Visual vs. Spoken Language (Psychology/Linguistics) researchers focused on geometric "signs"—dots
: It challenges the idea that sign languages are "just" gestures and explores how the visual nature of signing allows for more direct meaning than spoken sounds. The full text is available via Frontiers in Psychology .
Humans 40,000 y ago developed a system of conventional signs
: This paper analyzes prehistoric cave markings across Europe. Instead of just looking at animal drawings, researchers focused on geometric "signs"—dots, lines, and triangles—that appear repeatedly across different caves.