When was writing invented and where? What advantages does
the invention of writing have for human development?
Writing emerged in many different
cultures and in numerous locations throughout the ancient world. It was thought
to have been invented in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) in 3500 B.C. and the
first alphabet was known to have originated in Egypt in 2000 B.C.
The first form of writing
was on some form of clay tablets that were found by Oriental Institute archaeologists
at the site of Tell Asmar in Iraq. They were only simple pictures or pictograms
but they all represented an object or idea. Because clay is a difficult
material to draw lines and curves on, the Mesopotamians eventually reduced
pictograms into a series of wedge-shaped signs that they pressed into clay with
a reed stylus. The wedge-shaped writing is called cuneiform.
The invention of writing may
have happened for commercial and economic reasons but ever since it has been
invented it has revolutionised our world. We take writing for granted these
days, but the invention of writing has been largely responsible for the
development and structure of human society.
Writing plays a major part
in our lives. Without it we would have to remember everything and that would be
impossible. You could not send messages or letters, and we would not know much
about our history. Once things have been written down they can be passed on
from generation to generation. Writing has helped us understand how the world
has evolved.
Bibliography
No comments:
Post a Comment