When and Why Did We Harness Our Ability to Use Mathematics and Musical Scales?
The capacity for mathematical reasoning and musical production appears to be a deeply embedded feature of human cognition, with archaeological evidence for both extending well into the Upper Palaeolithic and possibly earlier. Notched bones interpreted as tally systems date to at least 42,000 years BP, while functional bone flutes from the Swabian Jura in southwestern Germany are dated to approximately 35,000–43,000 years BP. These artefacts predate agriculture, urbanisation, and all other features of settled civilisation by tens of thousands of years, suggesting that the neural substrates for quantitative and tonal reasoning were in place long before any practical application in economic or administrative contexts.
Introduction
The capacity for mathematical reasoning and musical production appears to be a deeply embedded feature of human cognition, with archaeological evidence for both extending well into the Upper Palaeolithic and possibly earlier. Notched bones interpreted as tally systems date to at least 42,000 years BP, while functional bone flutes from the Swabian Jura in southwestern Germany are dated to approximately 35,000–43,000 years BP. These artefacts predate agriculture, urbanisation, and all other features of settled civilisation by tens of thousands of years, suggesting that the neural substrates for quantitative and tonal reasoning were in place long before any practical application in economic or administrative contexts.