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Before writing : volume 1 : from counting to cuneiform
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Before writing : volume 1 : from counting to cuneiform

by Denise Schmandt-Besserat

This volume traces the origins of writing in Mesopotamia, arguing that it evolved from an ancient system of clay tokens used for accounting. It explores how these symbols laid the foundations for numeracy, abstract thought, and the rise of political power.

Accession 359 ISBN 0292707835 Publisher University of Texas Press
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TAGS
Curated Derived
Archaeology Collections Communication Culture Economics History Mathematics Philosophy Science Social Sciences Writing
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position_updated_at
2026-06-04 14:47
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vertical
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LOCATION HISTORY
M:S3:22 4 Current vertical
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M:S3:24 4 vertical
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Identity

name→ title
Before writing : volume 1 : from counting to cuneiform
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359
vernon_slug
before-writing-volume-1-from-counting-to-cuneiform-denise-schmandt-besserat-foreword-by-william-w-hallo

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0292707835

Descriptive

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1992
object_type
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brief_description
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.

Subjects & people

authors→ author (initial fill only)
Denise Schmandt-Besserat
tags→ tags
Numismatics, Auxiliary sciences of history, Science, Mathematics, History, Archaeology, Social sciences, Civilisation, Sociology, Writing, Language and languages, Communication, Inscriptions, Paleography, Economics, Technology, Finance, Cuneiform writing, Seals (Numismatics), Money, Signs and symbols, Visual communication, Numeracy, Tokens
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Topics and Themes