Josiffe, Christopher;
(2010)
Origins of writing: magic or accountancy?
Masters thesis (Cert HE), SOAS University of London.
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Abstract
This article will discuss the origins and development of some ancient writing systems. The origins of the Sumerian syllabogram system will be examined, focussing on the work of Denise Schmandt-Besserat, who argued that the earliest Sumerian pictograms were derived from clay trading tokens, linked to an emergent trade economy in the ancient Near East, with the consequent need for a written method of accounting. But such an economic origin may not be applicable to all ancient writing systems. The Chinese ‘oracle-bone’ script, Easter Island rongorongo tablets, and the controversial Balkan ‘Old European’ script espoused by Marija Gimbutas (and others) will all be examined, in an attempt to demonstrate that, outside the ancient Near East, magico-religious imperatives may have been the driving forces behind the rise of these other writing systems.
| Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Cert HE |
| Title: | Origins of writing: magic or accountancy? |
| Event: | SOAS University of London |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > VP: Research > Library Services |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10082208 |
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