The Chalcolithic Vinča culture of Southeast Europe may have developed the first writing anywhere in the world – beating the Sumerians by a thousand years. Symbols have been found on pottery vessels and clay tablets uncovered from various Vinča settlements. But what these symbols are exactly is disputed. They must be intended to convey some meaning but there’s little agreement on what that might be. Some symbols look like potters marks, signifying they were made by a certain person or workshop. I