NMC102H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Godin Tepe, Arrapha, Aramaic Alphabet
31 May 2015
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Document Summary
A representation of speech rather than simply ideas. Writing is considered one of the key elements of civilization; bound to early development of cities. Writing is a response, but not the only response, to problems raised by complexity. You can still have complex societies without the use of writing. Uruk: key site for development for writing and early civilization. Include use of clay tokens thought to be devices for counting items such as sheep, or recording items coming into house institution) Use of seals to mark surface of clay objects (clay envelope called a bulla, or tablet) Uruk iv: 18 levels of monumental building proceeding 2nd millennium bc. Uruk in 3rd millennium is not as large as rome in 100ad, but it is still quite large for that time period. Early texts not used to represent language (as used in the modern day), but some can be recognized because we have some of the same signs in later tablets.
