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arCHaeo Suisse 2026.2 – current issue

Voices from the past

Communication is a central aspect of being human. We interact with one another in a wide variety of ways every day. However, recognising and deciphering these forms of communication from bygone eras is not as straightforward as it might seem. ArCHaeo Suisse has set out to investigate and, in its latest issue, presents both clear and elusive examples of how our ancestors communicated.

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Symbols, writing and reconstructed languages

Language leaves no direct traces in the ground. It is, however, a key to understanding past cultures. Archaeological finds such as symbols and inscriptions provide initial clues, whilst linguistics offers deeper insights into sounds, grammar and vocabulary. Together, these disciplines paint a multifaceted picture of how people communicated thousands of years ago.

The Language of the Stelae

From the Atlantic to the Urals, prehistoric cultures have left behind thousands of standing stones, known as menhirs, stelae or menhir statues, whose meanings have been lost over time. Our current knowledge stems from the study of their characteristics and the contexts in which they were found. The insights gained can be compared with ethnographic observations: even today, the erection of stone stelae remains a living cultural tradition in some societies of East Africa and Asia. The combination of both approaches leads to hypotheses as to how these stones served as a means of non-verbal communication in illiterate cultures.

Communication on a small scale

To this day, coins convey messages that shape identity, in addition to their monetary value. Even in ancient times, coins served the same purpose, featuring carefully chosen designs. In the Roman Empire, they conveyed political messages, commemorated military victories and made affiliations visible. Through their widespread circulation, these images reached every region and had a lasting impact on the understanding of authority in everyday life across all social classes.