Some of the earliest artistic expressions of botanical motifs could indicate that humans developed mathematical and geometric thinking thousands of years before they could write out their calculations — or anything at all — according to a new study from Jerusalem’s Hebrew University.

In an extensive analysis of ancient pottery published on December 5 in the Journal of World Prehistory, Prof. Yosef Garfinkel and Sarah Krulwich investigated images of flowers, shrubs, branches, and trees on hundreds of pottery sherds from the Halafian culture of northern Mesopotamia and the northern Levant from around 6200–5500 BCE.

They found a level of symmetry, repetition, and geometric organization indicating what they described as “a sophisticated grasp of spatial division long before the appearance of written numbers.”

“These patterns show that mathematical thinking began long before writing,” Krulwich adds. “People visualized divisions, sequences, and balance through their art.”

According to the two researchers, “The decoration of flowers on Halafian pottery clearly reflects........

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