Before Writing, Vol. I: From Counting to Cuneiform

A fascinating book on the origins of writing. Before Writing gives a new perspective on the evolution...
¥19,847 JPY
¥19,847 JPY
SKU: 9781477325766
Product Type: Books
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Author: Denise Schmandt-Besserat
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Subtotal: ¥19,847
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Before Writing, Vol. I: From Counting to Cuneiform by Schmandt-Besserat, Denise

Before Writing, Vol. I: From Counting to Cuneiform

¥19,847

Before Writing, Vol. I: From Counting to Cuneiform

¥19,847
Author: Denise Schmandt-Besserat
Format: Paperback
Language: English

A fascinating book on the origins of writing.

Before Writing gives a new perspective on the evolution of communication. It points out that when writing began in Mesopotamia it was not, as previously thought, a sudden and spontaneous invention. Instead, it was the outgrowth of many thousands of years' worth of experience at manipulating symbols.

In Volume I: From Counting to Cuneiform, Denise Schmandt-Besserat describes how in about 8000 B.C., coinciding with the rise of agriculture, a system of counters, or tokens, appeared in the Near East. These tokens--small, geometrically shaped objects made of clay--represented various units of goods and were used to count and account for them. The token system was a breakthrough in data processing and communication that ultimately led to the invention of writing about 3100 B.C. Through a study of archaeological and epigraphic evidence, Schmandt-Besserat traces how the Sumerian cuneiform script, the first writing system, emerged from a counting device.

In Volume II: A Catalog of Near Eastern Tokens, Schmandt-Besserat presents the primary data on which she bases her theories. These data consist of several thousand tokens, catalogued by country, archaeological site, and token types and subtypes. The information also includes the chronology, stratigraphy, museum ownership, accession or field number, references to previous publications, material, and size of the artifacts. Line drawings and photographs illustrate the various token types.



Author: Denise Schmandt-Besserat
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Published: 12/15/2022
Pages: 284
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.58lbs
ISBN: 9781477325766

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