Writing and Civilization: From Ancient Worlds to Modernity

Writing and Civilization: From Ancient Worlds to Modernity « Series from 2013

Series from 2013

Broadcast info
Genres: Special Interest

The written word is so central to our lives that it can seem as if it has always existed. Yet writing is a relatively recent invention. Trace the remarkable saga of "visible speech" from its earliest origins to its future in the digital age.

In this thrilling journey, you'll explore how an array of sophisticated writing systems developed, then were adopted and adapted by surrounding cultures.

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What Is Writing?

The Origins and Development of Writing

Where Did Our Alphabet Come From?

The Fuþark--A Germanic Alphabet

Chinese--A Logosyllabic Script

Japanese--The World's Most Complex Script

What Is Decipherment?

The Five Pillars of Decipherment

Epigraphic Illustration

The History of Language

Proper Nouns and Cultural Context

Bilinguals, Biscripts, and Other Constraints

Egyptian--The First Great Decipherment

What Do Egyptian Hieroglyphs Say?

Old Persian--Cuneiform Deciphered

What Does Cuneiform Say?

Mycenaean Linear B--An Aegean Syllabary

Mayan Glyphs--A New World Logosyllabary

What Do the Mayan Glyphs Say?

Aztec Hieroglyphs--A Recent Decipherment

Etruscan and Meroïtic--Undeciphered Scripts

Han'gul, Tengwar, and Other Featural Scripts

Medium and Message

The Future of Writing