Analysis of a 4,000-year-old stone slab discovered in France in the 1900s shows that it may be an ancient “treasure map,” according to a report published Wednesday.
The Saint-Belec slab is thought to contain marking points across a 30 by 21 kilometer area in northwestern France, according to analysis published by Science Alert. These points may be sites of archaeological significance, holding untold treasures or monuments from the ancient world.
“Using the map to try to find archaeological sites is a great approach. We never work like that,” University of Western Brittany professor Yvan Pailler told the outlet. “It’s a treasure map.”
The engravings on the slab seem to mark notable rivers and mountains within an area of Brittany, France, according to Science Alert.
The Saint-Belec — a piece of rock with mysterious markings that lay largely unstudied for 4,000 years — is now being hailed as a “treasure map” for archaeologists, who are using it to hunt for ancient sites around north-western France.
➡️ https://t.co/w7ZDOQ4MmF pic.twitter.com/LZBzJaQNSI— AFP News Agency (@AFP) October 17, 2023
Comparisons with modern maps tend to find an 80 percent similarity in the designs, but it could still take upwards of 15 years for archaeologists to explore all of the key areas they believe the map reveals, Science Alert reported. With no understanding of the map’s key, teams will have to start their explorations somewhat blind. And whatever they find will likely be a huge surprise, per the outlet.
Pailler and his team are re-digging the site where the slab was found, just in case there are any other elements missing. “We are trying to better contextualize the discovery, to have a way to date the slab,” he noted, per Science Alert. (RELATED: France Decides To Bring Ancient Curses Upon Itself By Effing With Historical Artifacts)
It’s believed that the slab is at least 4,000-years-old and comes from a Bronze Age civilization. As power dynamics shifted, the slab was likely broken into smaller pieces and used as building materials, Pailler’s colleague Clement Nicolas suggested, according to the outlet.