CLST 214 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Omen, Barter, Equinox
25 Oct 2016
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Clst 214 week 5: invention of writing, superstition, naked eye. Writing as new technology to relate information across distance and time: egypt (3300 bc), mesopotamia (3350 bc), china (1600 bc), Mexico (500 bc dates changing) (~750 characters) Case of egypt: 24 letter alphabet with added symbols for ambiguities: bilaterals: symbol = 2 sounds at once, determinatives: semantic symbol giving context. No causation between complexity of language and literacy rate: more closely linked to cultural norms. Most writing seems to appear spontaneously: example of evolution: trade items linked to barter tokens and subsequent impressions in clay. A form of deliberate messages from the gods and scientifically divined from nature. Babylonian tables detail lists of omen in the format of: if x is a present/a certain form, then y will occur. Eg. divining from a sheep"s liver: closer to a form of modern science or medicine, this type usually associated with kingdom level events.
