The History of Writing
The history of written communication can be an interesting addition to history lessons.
By Daniella Garran
It is difficult for students to imagine a world without writing. Without a system of writing, communication would be entirely different. Not only would there be no books, but there would be no Internet, instant messaging, or texting either. Students may be surprised that in the history of the world, writing is a recent invention. It is only about 5500 years old.
When learning about the history of writing students also find out about the development of different forms of communication, record keeping, and literature. You can begin by talking about the Sumerians. When the Sumerians devised cuneiform, it changed the way their society was run. They were able to keep records regarding trade and taxes, write down the laws of the land (the Code of Hammurabi), and record their literature (the Epic of Gilgamesh). The system of wedge-shaped characters was revolutionary, and other cultures soon saw its value. The Egyptians devised their own system called hieroglyphs, which were much more complex in scope, and played a significant role in funerary rites and rituals. The Phoenicians, however, can be credited with inventing the earliest precursor to the Greek and Roman alphabets. Asian cultures in China and Japan developed elaborate sets of characters which enabled them to do much the same as their counterparts to the west.
The development of writing also gave way to a new profession and social class made up of scribes. Scribes were often retained by political leaders to record their accomplishments much in the same way sculptors were used to create positive, powerful images of leaders. Until the advent of the printing press in the fifteenth century, scribes were highly sought after since very few people had the necessary training to write down information. Gutenberg’s printing press, however, suddenly gave thousands (and ultimately millions) access to something they had never before been able to obtain - books.
The timeline of the written word is an excellent tool to help students understand the development of the written word. This timeline can help students see that the progress made since the invention of the first system of writing has been swift and grand in scope.
As a warm up activity, you can ask students to list ways in which our culture would be different without written language. Then you can ask them whether they think it would be easier to communicate through pictures. They can discuss the challenges posed by having to communicate in pictures or words with people from different cultures. Students can also think about whether there would be drawbacks to a universal written language.
Another fun activity for students is translating. Students always enjoy deciphering and decoding ancient scripts. You can provide students with a key to cuneiform, hieroglyphs, Phoenician or another alphabet, and have them "translate" messages. To further challenge students, you can ask them to translate from one ancient script to another. Switching between cuneiform and Greek is no easy feat.
Students are quite familiar with computer icons, the closest thing we have to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. You can quiz students on the meaning of each icon (iTunes, Firefox, etc . . . ). Then you can ask the class to generate a list of icons which they believe to be "universal." You can have them draw these icons or print them out from the Internet and make a quiz for your other classes or sections to determine whether the images are truly universal.
The history of writing can and should be incorporated into lessons about virtually any civilization. It is also important to include a study of the literature of other cultures as it often reflects more about society than the official records kept by those in power. What follows are more lessons that can be used to teach the history of writing.
History of Writing Lessons:
The Cuneiform Writing System in Ancient Mesopotamia: Emergence and Evolution
The ancient Mesopotamians were the first to devise a system of pictographs which allowed them to keep records of tax and trade, publicize laws, and record their history and stories. This lesson has students examine artifacts, including cuneiform tablets while developing an understanding of the importance of this watershed date in history; the invention of writing changed the world forever.
Students compare and contrast the development of Sumerian cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphs, the Cyrillic alphabet, Japanese characters, the Phoenician alphabet and Chinese calligraphy. Students also consider why pictorial language is no longer used as a primary means of communication
In this lesson, students examine the Scorpion Tableau and learn about the use of hieroglyphs in Ancient Egypt. Students also have the opportunity to develop their own writing system and learn about the intricacies of formulating language.
For teachers looking for a more modern approach to the issues related to writing, this lesson addresses mass-production of the written word, the history of written communication, and censorship. Students examine the case of Hazelwood School District vs. Kuhlmeier in which it was determined whether freedom of speech applied to a school newspaper. Students are likely to find this interesting as teens are beginning to develop a strong sense of justice and an idea about their rights.
An Ancient Revolution: The Written Word
Aside from the invention of the printing press in the fifteenth century, there is, perhaps, no greater event in the history of the written word than the creation of the Bible. It remains the most widely-read and oft-purchased book in the world. The Bible is also one of the most controversial books as far as its interpretations and adaptations are concerned. The role of the Bible in history needn’t be taught from a religious perspective, there is great value in analyzing its influence on history and cultures, and in assessing its impact on writing and literature in general.