Photo: Oldest Writing in New World Discovered, Scientists Say

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An ancient stone tablet dated to around 900 B.C. (right) is the oldest known example of writing in the New World, scientists say. The tablet contains 62 symbols in 28 shapes arranged in horizontal patterns (left).

Most Mesoamerican scripts are arranged vertically, however, one of several reasons some archaeologists remain unconvinced of the tablet's authenticity.

Photographs © Science

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