History of Writing Systems

Most assume writing systems get simpler. But 3,600 years of Chinese writing show it’s getting increasingly complex

This research was conducted with Simon Jerome Han as lead author. Piers Kelly receives funding from an ARC DECRA Fellowship. Charles Kemp's work on this project was supported by an ARC Future ...

CNN

World’s oldest writing system may have its origins in mysterious, undeciphered symbols

Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN’s Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being. Researchers have uncovered ...

Hyperallergic

A History of Writing, from Hieroglyphs to Squiggles

Schoolchild’s homework in Greek on a wax tablet, Egypt, 2nd century AD (copyright the British Library) LONDON — A 2,000-year-old wax tablet bears inscriptions of the Greek homework of an Egyptian ...

PBS

Writing Systems

We learn about orthographies, the different components that make up a writing system. All societies have spoken or signed language, but not all languages have a written form. Since writing developed ...

HUB

Alphabetic writing may have begun 500 years earlier than believed

In 2010, archaeologist Glenn Schwartz quietly suggested that the history of writing needs, well, rewriting. More than a decade later, he still thinks he's on to something. If he's right, the world's ...

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Key to origins of Mesopotamian writing could be in ancient accounting system

Most assume writing systems get simpler. But 3,600 years of Chinese writing show it’s getting increasingly complex

World’s oldest writing system may have its origins in mysterious, undeciphered symbols

A History of Writing, from Hieroglyphs to Squiggles

Writing Systems

Alphabetic writing may have begun 500 years earlier than believed