Description

Book Synopsis
"This is an excellent, accessible introduction to writing's origins and development; Powell's jargon-free exposition clarifies many important issues in a way that specialist discussions have rarely achieved to date.

Table of Contents
List of Illustrations ix

Maps xiv

Preface xv

Chronology xvii

Introduction: A Difficult Topic, Little Studied, Poorly Understood 1

1 What Is Writing? 11

2 Writing with Signs 19

3 Categories and Features of Writing 38

4 Some General Issues in the Study of Writing 51

5 Protocuneiform and Counting Tokens 60

6 Origin of Lexigraphic Writing in Mesopotamia 70

7 Plato's Ideas and Champollion’s Decipherment of the

Egyptian Hieroglyphs 85

8 Egyptian Writing and Egyptian Speech 100

9 The Origin and Nature of Egyptian Writing 108

10 “The House of Life”: Scribes and Writing in Ancient Egypt 120

11 Syllabic Scripts of the Aegean 128

12 The West Semitic Revolution 148

13 What Kind of Writing Was West Semitic? 163

14 The Origins of West Semitic Writing 175

15 Chinese Logography 187

16 Lexigraphic Writing in Mesoamerica 206

17 The Greek Alphabet: A Writing That Changed the World 227

18 Summary and Conclusions 245

Glossary 255

Bibliography 263

Index 270

Writing Theory and History of the Technology of

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    A Paperback / softback by Barry B. Powell

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      View other formats and editions of Writing Theory and History of the Technology of by Barry B. Powell

      Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd
      Publication Date: 09/02/2012
      ISBN13: 9781118255322, 978-1118255322
      ISBN10: 1118255321
      Also in:
      Language: history and general works

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      "This is an excellent, accessible introduction to writing's origins and development; Powell's jargon-free exposition clarifies many important issues in a way that specialist discussions have rarely achieved to date.

      Table of Contents
      List of Illustrations ix

      Maps xiv

      Preface xv

      Chronology xvii

      Introduction: A Difficult Topic, Little Studied, Poorly Understood 1

      1 What Is Writing? 11

      2 Writing with Signs 19

      3 Categories and Features of Writing 38

      4 Some General Issues in the Study of Writing 51

      5 Protocuneiform and Counting Tokens 60

      6 Origin of Lexigraphic Writing in Mesopotamia 70

      7 Plato's Ideas and Champollion’s Decipherment of the

      Egyptian Hieroglyphs 85

      8 Egyptian Writing and Egyptian Speech 100

      9 The Origin and Nature of Egyptian Writing 108

      10 “The House of Life”: Scribes and Writing in Ancient Egypt 120

      11 Syllabic Scripts of the Aegean 128

      12 The West Semitic Revolution 148

      13 What Kind of Writing Was West Semitic? 163

      14 The Origins of West Semitic Writing 175

      15 Chinese Logography 187

      16 Lexigraphic Writing in Mesoamerica 206

      17 The Greek Alphabet: A Writing That Changed the World 227

      18 Summary and Conclusions 245

      Glossary 255

      Bibliography 263

      Index 270

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