A Tile with the Oldest Script in the World is Found Near Nova Zagora

A valuable well-preserved ceramic tile dating back to the sixth millennium before the New Age was discovered by Sliven archaeologists near Nova Zagora. The find is the oldest in Europe and one of the oldest in the world samples of script was discovered by Sliven archaeologists near Nova Zagora, said archeologist Dr. Tanja Kaneva.

The signs are laid on both sides of a well-preserved ceramic tile. "This plate is a high form of information transmission and is very complex," said Dr. Kaneva.

They differ from pictograms and carry non-verbal information accessible to people living at that time. They carry information about calendar and ritual events. They are hand-made on wet clay, with the marks being painted with a sharp object. The discovery was made near the town of Nova Zagora by the river, where probably during the New Stone Age existed an ancient settlement.

"A total of 36 cultural monuments were found there, among which jewelery, looms for weaving looms, fishing net, cult sculpture, ceramic figures and others," the archaeologist said.

"The record plate will enrich the collection of the Sliven Historical Museum and attract more visitors," said Nikolai Sirakov, the museum's director.

The find was presented on the day of the archaeologist on February 14, and was discovered during an archaeological expedition of the National Museum of History and RIM-Sliven in October 2017.