Before Writing: From Counting to Cuneiform (1) - Couverture rigide

Schmandt-Besserat, Denise

 
9780292707832: Before Writing: From Counting to Cuneiform (1)
Couverture rigide
ISBN 10 : 0292707835 ISBN 13 : 9780292707832
Editeur : University of Texas Press, 1992

Synopsis

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.

Les informations fournies dans la section « Synopsis » peuvent faire référence à une autre édition de ce titre.

À propos de l?auteur

Denise Schmandt-Besserat is Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.

Les informations fournies dans la section « A propos du livre » peuvent faire référence à une autre édition de ce titre.

Éditeur
University of Texas Press
Date d'édition
1992
Langue
anglais
ISBN 10 
0292707835
ISBN 13 
9780292707832
Reliure
Relié
Nombre de pages
283
Coordonnées du fabricant
non disponible
Personne responsable
non disponible

Autres éditions populaires du même titre

9781477325766: Before Writing: From Counting to Cuneiform (1)

Edition présentée

ISBN 10 :  147732576X ISBN 13 :  9781477325766
Editeur : University of Texas Press, 2022
Couverture souple