Ancient clay figurine from Guatemala may bear the oldest written numbers in Mesoamerica

Archaeological discovery of a clay figurine with 11 dots arranged in columns represents the oldest known example of written numbers in Mesoamerica, advancing understanding of early Mesoamerican writing systems and numerical notation.

This does not prove the figurine's exact age or cultural context without archaeological dating and peer-reviewed confirmation; the interpretation of the dots as intentional numerical notation requires expert consensus.