Deciphering Ancient Scripts

Question 1

Function of Writing

Answer 1

• To record propaganda
• To make the writer immortal
• To predict the future
• To mark property
• To record accounts
• To identify an individual

Question 2

Writing Styles

Answer 2

• Logographic: 1 symbol = 1 word (mandarin)
• Syllabic: 1 symbol = 1 syllable (Japanese Hiragana)
• Alphabetic: 1 symbol = 1 phoneme

Question 3

Five Pillars of Decipherment

Answer 3

1. Scholars should hav ea good idea of the type of script they are dealing with
2. The corpus or database of texts should be large enough to allow effective comparisons
3. The language should be known
4. There should be a bilingual inscription or other clues to word meaning
5. The cultural context of the script should be known, including names, places, historical details, etc.

Question 4

Indus Script

Answer 4

• No modern descendants, so no idea what the symbols stand for
• Experts argue that Indus script is tied to a specific language and is a complete writing system
• Likely logophonetic (400 symbols, though 200 basic signs): Both signs used for meanings and phonetic value

Question 5

Determining writing system

Answer 5

• Alphabetic usually have <40
• Syllabic typically 40-100
• Logophonetic/logographic have upwards of 5000

Question 6

Origins of Indus writing

Answer 6

Origins can be traved to the Ravi Phase (3300-2800 BC) at Harappa

Question 7

Seal

Answer 7

• Used to make impressions on malleable material like clay

- Formed out of soft rock, reusable