Archaeologists Stumble Upon 10,000-Yr-Old Reddish Brown 'Crayon’ Near Ancient Lake, Likely Used by Hunter-Gatherers

In the 1980s archaeologists uncovered an uncanny object from Star Carr in England. In 2018, researchers determined it was possibly the first crayon used by hunter-gatherers to draw animal skin and make artwork, stated Newsweek. Researchers claim that the crayon was likely from the Middle Stone Age, originating somewhere between 8,000 B.C. and 2,700 B.C. Findings regarding the crayon have been published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

The crayon was discovered in Scarborough at a place near what was once Lake Flixton. In the Mesolithic period the region was filled with peat, and over the years has become popular because of containing artifacts from the Middle Stone Age. The unearthed color utensil was observed to be made of ochre, a natural clay-earth pigment by the experts. Researchers claimed that the crayon appeared to be covered by reddish-brown coloring. 

Archeologists some decades later found a pebble-shaped chunk made of ochre from the same site. Despite the same material, the crayon captivated the attention of experts more because of its features. "I was really amazed by how small and delicate the piece is. It is only a few centimeters long yet preserves very clear evidence of having been used by Mesolithic humans," Andy Needham, an associate archaeology lecturer at the University of York stated. "Imagine the odds of recovering an object this small and delicate after it has been buried in the ground for around 10,000 years?" The crayon was recorded to be three-fourths of an inch long and sharpened on one side. There were also some wear patterns on the piece which indicated to experts that it was used like a pencil or crayon.

Both the pieces were noted to sport deep grooves, which implies that people scratched the clay on these items to produce red powder. Researchers claim that the powder was utilized in art. "The deep grooves lacking any apparent artistic design on the pebble suggest it was used to harvest red pigment powder," Needham and his colleagues wrote. "The sharp edges with striations in multiple directions might indicate the elongate shaped piece was used as a drawing and coloring tool, perhaps in a similar way to a contemporary pencil or crayon." The assertion was backed up by the huge collection of Stone Age artwork found in the area, according to Smithsonian Magazine. 

Researchers believe that the item would enable them to know more about Stone Age lifestyles and the way they recorded their history. "For me [the crayon] is a very significant object and helps us build a bigger picture of what life was like in the area; it suggests it would have been a very colorful place," Needham said. Researchers believe that the red-ochre artifacts were used for illustrating decorative pieces and possibly coloring the animal skin, as per Newsweek. Researchers plan to create a replica of this ochre crayon and then use it to create artworks that they believe were made by Stone Age people. This will help them to determine the accuracy of their speculation and the expertise of people in the Middle Stone Age.