Although ancient writing offers our first glimpse of history, people and institutions, its origins remain mysterious. This book presents the most up-to-date analysis of the origins of ancient writing. Studying often neglected writing systems, such as those of Mesoamerica, leading scholars collectively discuss how these scripts came into existence and developed during their first centuries of use. Egypt, Mesopotamia, Elamite, Mesoamerica and the Maya, Shang and Runic are represented.
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'Most of the specialist scholars included here are eminent in their fields, and the whole beautifully produced volume will be of interest to all those studying early civilizations.' Bryn Mawr Classical Review
Book Description
Ancient writing gives us our first glimpse of history, people and institutions, and yet its origins remain mysterious. The First Writing offers the most up-to-date treatment and examination of the origins of ancient writing. It studies often neglected writing systems, such as those of Mesoamerica. The leading scholars in the field collectively discuss new topics, and highlight new subtleties about how these scripts came into existence and developed during their first centuries of use. Egypt, Mesopotamia, Elamite, Mesoamerica and the Maya, Shang and Runic are all represented.
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10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
nice survey across the world,
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This review is from: The First Writing: Script Invention as History and Process (Hardcover)
Writing is one of the key things that distinguishes humans from other animals. An attribute of civilisation that was independently invented by several peoples throughout the world. So here Houston gives us an overview of the current best understanding of these early efforts.
Of these, perhaps the best known are those of the Middle East - Egypt and Mesopotamia. But there has also been important advances in recent decades in our understanding of MesoAmerican scripts, which is well explained here. The reader should be cautioned that there is a well nigh inevitable frustration with this subject. A lot of our current lack of knowledge of these early writings may always remain unresolved. And some of our understandings are understood to be best effort speculation.
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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
The theme of this book is the first writing systems - early cuneiform, proto-Elamite, Egyptian (all prior to 3000 BC, by some centuries), Chinese (prior to 1000 BC), and Maya and its Mesoamerican precursors (beginning ca. 500 BC). Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
logophonic scripts, nominal glyphs, sign repertory, uniconsonantal signs, week without disaster, semasiographic systems, narrative infinitive, numerical tablets, phonographic scripts, divination bones, archaic tablets, rebus principle, oracle texts, graphic variants, clan signs, early writing systems, spoken sign, early cuneiform, oracle inscriptions, stimulus diffusion, grammatical affixes, bronze inscriptions, cuneiform writing system, sudden invention, full writing Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Lady Hao, Late Uruk, Urcid Serrano, Near East, William Boltz, Middle East, Classic Maya, Jemdet Nasr, Early Classic, Jerrold Cooper, John Baines, New World, Old Akkadian, Old Kingdom, Old World, Stephen Houston, West Semitic, Western Zhou, Brigham Young University, Chiapa de Corzo, Dumbarton Oaks, Early Dynastic Period, Father Ding, Karl Taube, Winfield Capitaine New!
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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
The theme of this book is the first writing systems - early cuneiform, proto-Elamite, Egyptian (all prior to 3000 BC, by some centuries), Chinese (prior to 1000 BC), and Maya and its Mesoamerican precursors (beginning ca. 500 BC). Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
logophonic scripts, nominal glyphs, sign repertory, uniconsonantal signs, week without disaster, semasiographic systems, narrative infinitive, numerical tablets, phonographic scripts, divination bones, archaic tablets, rebus principle, oracle texts, graphic variants, clan signs, early writing systems, spoken sign, early cuneiform, oracle inscriptions, stimulus diffusion, grammatical affixes, bronze inscriptions, cuneiform writing system, sudden invention, full writing Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Lady Hao, Late Uruk, Urcid Serrano, Near East, William Boltz, Middle East, Classic Maya, Jemdet Nasr, Early Classic, Jerrold Cooper, John Baines, New World, Old Akkadian, Old Kingdom, Old World, Stephen Houston, West Semitic, Western Zhou, Brigham Young University, Chiapa de Corzo, Dumbarton Oaks, Early Dynastic Period, Father Ding, Karl Taube, Winfield Capitaine New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 100
books:
See all 100 books this book cites
2
books
cite this book:
- Toward a New Understanding of Literacy by Merald E. Wrolstad on 6 pages
- The Origins of Writing by Wayne M. Senner on 5 pages
- Maya Iconography by Elizabeth P. Benson in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Logical Reasoning with Diagrams (Studies in Logic and Computation) by Gerard Allwein in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- State and Society: The Emergence and Development of Social Hierarchy and Political Centralization (One World Archaeology) by J. Gledhill in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 100 books this book cites
- The Top 10 Myths About Evolution by Cameron Smith on page 117, and Back Matter
- The Archaeology of Early Egypt: Social Transformations in North-East Africa, c.10,000 to 2,650 BC (Cambridge World Archaeology) by David Wengrow in Back Matter
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