First Meme in Human History
How Cavemen Created the Original Viral Symbol
Last updated
How Cavemen Created the Original Viral Symbol
Last updated
Long before the internet, long before written language, and even long before civilization as we know it the first meme was born. Not on a screen, not in a digital format, but on the walls of caves, etched in ochre, charcoal, and primal intent.
Early humans, our ancestors, were more than just hunters and gatherers. They were storytellers, symbolists, and memetic engineers. They communicated complex ideas, emotions, and shared experiences through cave paintings, some dating back over 40,000 years. But these weren't just depictions of hunts or rituals, they were memes, visual shorthand for collective ideas.
Consider the image above. It portrays an elongated, humanoid figure, surrounded by animals and abstract symbols. This could be interpreted as one of the earliest recorded attempts at memetic storytelling, an attempt to encapsulate something greater than just a literal event. A message, an inside joke, a warning, or a shared cultural understanding.
They Conveyed Shared Meaning – Like today’s memes, these images weren’t just random scribbles. They represented concepts recognized and understood by the tribe.
They Were Replicated and Spread – Different caves around the world showcase similar humanoid figures, animal depictions, and symbolic markings, showing that these ideas were being copied, altered, and spread across regions—just like internet memes today.
They Captured the Spirit of the Time – Just as we create memes today based on culture, trends, and humor, early humans used symbols to document their collective experiences, fears, victories, and even supernatural encounters.
The first memes weren’t just about entertainment; they were about communication, survival, and culture-building. In a world where oral tradition and symbols were the only means of preserving knowledge, these prehistoric artists were the original meme lords, shaping the way their communities understood the world.
Fast forward thousands of years, and we’re still doing the same thing encoding ideas, emotions, and humor into symbols and images that transcend time and space. Whether it’s a Pepe frog, a Wojak, or a digital token embedded with lore, memetics is the backbone of human connection.
The jungle remembers. The first cavemen who scribbled their thoughts on stone unknowingly set in motion the oldest and most powerful form of communication memes. From the cave to the blockchain, from primal to digital, the memetic journey continues.
Uga buga forever.