Media, Information and Technoculture 2000F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Eric A. Havelock, Pictogram, Writing Material
25 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
Origins of writing: sumeria: 3200bce mesopotamia, accountancy: Origins of writing are linked to the spreads of economy. Record keeping, the government realized writing could help them to administrate taxes. Written on clay tablets --> writing surface matters just as much as the content of writing. Sumerian: rebus principle, pictographic symbol used for phonetic value. Ideographic and syllabic symbols: cylinders on clay, personal stamps, baked clay tablets, trade/commerce, time-biased medium --> heavy, permanent records, cannot transport far so is time biased medium. 1000-200 bce: easier to read/write, precise meanings. Have to know 26 letters have certain kinds of sounds that get put together. Easier to teach children to read and write. Most efficient way to learn how to read and write vs. other photographic way. Ancient greece (500-100 bce: craft to democratic literacy, devalue memorization, new statements/novel ideas, eric havelock. Also a social innovation, the development of the more elaborate schooling system being taken place in ancient greece.
