DIARY OF A CAVEMAN
Diary of a Caveman
One of the oldest archeological finds of its kind, this journal was discovered on the banks of the Klasies River in South Africa. Many artifacts were discovered at the dig site, most of them carbon dated to over 75,000 years old, leading to important discoveries dating back to the Stone Age. The Journal covered in this translation is significantly younger than that, closer to 12,000 years, yet could likely be the oldest written artifact by a human hand. The journal was carved into a series of cave walls and eventually transitioned to being painted on processed animal hides. It is the most complete record of a human life from pre-history and an invaluable asset to understanding the every day activities of people in that time. It is also an unprecedented record of the transition from symbols and painting to the written word, and development of what we would consider modern language. The journal raises some very profound questions about the relationships between people at the time and explores the deep spirituality which dominated their lives. Some of the many mysteries hidden in the journal, have yet to be answered.
Editor's Note: The translation of this work has been painstakingly done over ten years by twenty-three ancient language experts from all over the world. Some of the words are not a direct translation as we no longer have the english language equivalent for them. In these instances, the closest word possible has been chosen. The Journal holds over three thousand entries, written over the span of thirty years during which the author's language becomes significantly developed and, some would say, sophisticated. Some of the less crucial entries have been removed or condensed for continuity.
Entry 1
I
Entry 2
Iam
Entry 3
I am
Entry 4
I am speak
Entry 5
I am speak I am eat
Entry 6
I am speak I am eat
Entry 7
I am speak I am eat I am
Entry 8
I am learn I am speak I am learnspeak
Entry 9
I am learn/speak
Entry 10
I am learn/write
Entry 11
I am learn/speak. I learn-I am write.
me
you
speak
i
write
i write i write i write.
Entry 12
I am alone
Entry 33
day
night
I am learn speak/write many day night work day night sleep many animal cave bison
Entry 34
killer
night/killer
i hear night/killer
Death
Entry 40
day/night
day/night pass
new
old
time
time pass
i am alone
Entry 65
good
bad
i am good
night/killer am bad
hide
cave/hide
i hear night/killer i am cave/hide i am good
Entry 77
today
yesterday
tomorrow
happy
sad
life
death
today I am happy yesterday i am sad
Entry 260
today I hunt night/killer. I have sharp stick and animal skin. I smell wind. I search ground. I find tracks. the sky cries. I am wet. I am cold. I hide in cave.
I am cold.
Entry 261
ill.
I am ill. cold wet ill. I shake.
I am dying.
Entry 262
I am dying. water in my nose. water in my throat. pain. pain everywhere. I shake.
I am cold and wet. I am hot and cold.
I am dying.
I am alone.
Entry 263
Today I am good. Water is gone. Ill is gone. Cold and wet is gone. I am warm.
I am alive.
Entry 270
Why.
Why crying sky. Why time pass. Why bright circle light the sky. Why animal die. Why I am ill. Why fire burn.
Understand. I no understand.
Entry 271
Today I hunt. Today I am hunger. I am ill I am hunger.
Food.
No food today. No food yesterday. No food yesterday yesterday.
I am hunger.
Food.
Entry 272
Night killer hunts tonight. I hear night killer's breath. I smell night killer's fur. I hear night killer's howl. I am scared.
No food today.