The Invention of Writing

Animal Bone as Writing Evidence

  • The discussion begins with an animal bone believed to represent mood phases.

  • Although these marks are records, they are not classified as true writing.

The Nature of Writing

  • Social Activity: Writing must be understood by others, reflecting the necessity of commonality among people.

Early Settlements and Agriculture

  • Deep Sea Trout: Settled around 8,000 BCE, leading to developments in agriculture.

  • Domestication: Early humans began to domesticate animals and wild grains, marking the onset of agricultural practices.

Sumerians and Early Writing Systems

  • Origin: Sumerians were of mysterious origin, arriving between 5500 and 4000 BCE.

  • Taxation in Crops: Population was required to provide a fair share of their agricultural produce as a form of tax.

  • Early Writing Needs: Development of writing theorized to stem from the need for identifying food contents in storage pots.

Use of Clay Tags

  • Identification: Clay tags represented contents through pictographs.

  • Evolution of Pictographs: Initially intricate but became simplified over time for efficiency.

Transition to Cuneiform Writing

  • Change in Technique: Adoption of a triangular tipped writing tool replaced the sharp point, enhancing efficiency.

    • Cuneiform: The term comes from Latin "pudiform", meaning wedge-shaped, reflecting the new writing form developed.

Development of Writing Systems

  • Writing began to represent not only objects but also complex ideas.

  • Scribes as Elite: Scribes became an elite class, often more literate than the general population, requiring extensive training.

Evolution of Knowledge and Law

  • Recording History: Writing allowed for the recording of history and societal ethics.

  • Public Laws: Laws placed in public spaces to communicate rules, though many remained illiterate.

  • Symbolism: Personal markings such as brands became a form of identity and social status stemming from the rise of agriculture.

Storage of Information through Writing

  • Writing is compared to storing food, allowing for the preservation of infinite amounts of information.

  • Connection between surplus food and surplus information:

    • Writing facilitated controlled food surplus and helped manage societal structures.

Decline and Evolution of Writing Systems

  • Indigenous writing systems faced decline, with some losing significance over time.

    • Expansion from 700 to 5,000 different signs.

Egyptian Writing Systems

  • Egyptian writing proliferated and took on a sacred significance, found in architecture and public inscriptions.

  • Obelisks: Tall, four-sided shafts inscribed with rich symbolism in three languages, serving as cultural artifacts.

Influence on Greek Culture

  • Greek culture, once perceived as the origin of knowledge, was influenced heavily by Egyptian culture, including visual symbolism (e.g., zodiac signs).

  • Animal Representation: Practices began in Egypt persisted into Western culture, such as symbolic associations (e.g., owls and wisdom).

Learning to Write in Egypt

  • Becoming a scribe required rigorous training and was associated with power and privilege.

  • Scribes had access to tools and materials, including:

    • Ink Wells: Both black and red ink had specific uses.

    • Ink Cakes: Resembled watercolor blocks, relied upon for various writing tasks.

Writing Substrates in Egypt

  • Papyrus: Critically important material derived from papyrus plants abundant in the Nile Delta.

    • Had diverse uses (e.g., boats, sandals, baskets) due to its fibrous nature, yielding a light and durable writing medium.

  • Instructional resource: A demonstration video will provide insight into papyrus creation.