Before Writing: Volume 1: From Counting to Cuneiform
Denise Schmandt-Besserat; William W. Hallo [Foreword]
Language: English
Published by University of Texas Press, 1992
- Hardcover
- Used
Seller: Bailey's Bibliomania, Ellensburg, WA, U.S.A.Bailey's Bibliomania
AbeBooks seller since February 27, 2014
Condition: Used - Very good
£ 11.39
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Add to basketItem description from seller
Hi. Welcome to our small, family-owned bookstore. Copyright 1992 by the University of Texas Press. ISBN 0292707835. Written by Denise Schmandt-Besserat. Foreword by William W. Hallo. Hardcover with jacket, all Very Good, very much like new. No sign of wear or damage. 269 pages, bright, includes an index. Richly illustrated with b/w photos and drawings.Packaged using bubble wrap and a sturdy cardboard box. Thanks for checking out this book from our small-town brick-and-mortar and supporting small business.
Seller Inventory # RLC0318222874
- Title
- Before Writing: Volume 1: From Counting to Cuneiform
- Author
- Denise Schmandt-Besserat; William W. Hallo [Foreword]
- Publisher
- University of Texas Press
- Publication year
- 1992
- Condition
- Very Good
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 0292707835
- ISBN 13
- 9780292707832
- Item weight
- 45 ounces
- Dimensions
- 11x8x1
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.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Denise Schmandt-Besserat is Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Bailey's Bibliomania
Ellensburg, WA, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since February 27, 2014
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Bailey's Bibliomania is a small, used & new bookstore located in the Historic Downtown District of Ellensburg, Washington. We opened the brick and mortar portion of our business in January of 2006. We previously listed books on Abebooks for several years until an accident caused us to take a long break in our business. During that hiatus we also moved our store causing us to decide to start our inventory listings anew. In our inventory we have many thousands of great books that will be listed here on AbeBooks. We have a very eclectic inventory and tend to focus on those books that are unique in some aspect, leaving the popular titles to be sold in our physical store. We strive to rank and describe each book carefully so that buyers know exactly what they are ordering. Please visit us often as we grow here! Thanks for visiting! Mary & John, Owners…
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Bailey's Bibliomania
WA, U.S.A.
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