The disappearance of writing systems : perspectives on literacy and communication ; [dedicated to the memory of Jeremy Black, 1951-2004

This volume gathers papers from the first conference ever to be held on the disappearance of writing systems, in Oxford in March 2004. While the invention and decipherment of writing systems have long been focuses of research, their eclipse or replacement have been little studied. Because writing is so important in many cultures and civilizations, its disappearance - followed by a period without it or by replacement with a different writing system - is of almost equal significance to invention as a mark of radical change. Probably more writing systems have disappeared than have survived in the last five thousand years. Case studies from the Old and New Worlds are presented, ranging over periods from the second millennium BC to the present. To address many types of transmission, the broadest possible definition of writing is used, notably including Mexican pictography and the Andean khipu system. One chapter discusses the larger proportion of known human societies which have not possessed complex material codes like writing, offering an alternative perspective on the long-term transmission of socially salient subjects. A concluding essay draws out common themes and offers an initial synthesis of results. The volume offers a new perspective on approaches to writing that will be significant for the understanding of writing systems and their social functions, literacy, memory, and high-cultural communication systems in general. Now You See It; Now You Don't! The Disappearance Of The Linear A Script On Crete / John Bennet -- The Disappearance Of Writing Systems : Hieroglyphic Luwian / J. David Hawkins -- The Obsolescence And Demise Of Cuneiform Writing In Elam / Jeremy Black -- Increasingly Redundant : The Growing Obsolescence Of The Cuneiform Script In Babylonia From 539 Bc / David Brown -- Postscript: Redundancy Reconsidered : Reflections On David Brown's Thesis / Jerrold Cooper -- Script Obsolescence In Ancient Italy : From Pre-roman To Roman Writing / Kathryn Lomas -- Whatever Happened To Kharoṣṭhī? The Fate Of A Forgotten Indic Script / Richard Salomon -- On The Demise Of Egyptian Writing : Working With A Problematic Source Basis / Martin Andreas Stadler -- The Last Traces Of Meroitic? A Tentative Scenario For The Disappearance Of The Meroitic Script / Claude Rilly -- The Phoenix Of Phoinikēia : Alphabetic Reincarnation In Arabia / M. C. A. Macdonald -- The Small Deaths Of Maya Writing / Stephen D. Houston -- The Death Of Mexican Pictography / Elizabeth Hill Boone -- Late Khipu Use / Frank Salomon -- Disappearance Of Writing Systems : The Manchu Case / Giovanni Stary -- Revelatory Scripts, 'the Unlettered Genius', And The Appearance And Disappearance Of Writing / John Monaghan -- History Without Text / Chris Gosden -- Writing And Its Multiple Disappearances / John Baines. Edited By John Baines, John Bennet, Stephen Houston. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This volume gathers papers from the first conference ever to be held on the disappearance of writing systems, in Oxford in March 2004. While the invention and decipherment of writing systems have long been focuses of research, their eclipse or replacement have been little studied. Because writing is so important in many cultures and civilizations, its disappearance - followed by a period without it or by replacement by a different writing system - is of almost equal significance to invention as a mark of radical change. Probably more writing systems have disappeared than survived in the last five thousand years.Case studies from the Old and New Worlds are presented, ranging over periods from the first millennium BC to the present. In order to address many types of transmission, the broadest possible definition of 'writing' is used, notably including Mexican pictography and the Andean khipu system. One chapter discusses the larger proportion of known human societies that have not possessed complex material codes like writing, offering an alternative perspective on the long-term transmission of socially salient subjects. A concluding essay draws out common themes and offers an initial synthesis of results.The volume offers a new perspective on approaches to writing that will be significant for the understanding of writing systems and their social functions, literacy, memory, and high-cultural communication systems in general. "This volume gathers papers from the first conference ever to be held on the disappearance of writing systems, in Oxford in March 2004. Case studies from the Old and New Worlds are presented, ranging over periods from the second millennium B.C. to the present. In order to address many types of transmission, the broadest possible definition of 'writing' is used, notably including Mexican pictography and the Andean khipu system. One chapter discusses the larger proportion of known human societies which have not possessed complex material codes like writing, offering an alternative perspective on the long-term transmission of socially salient subjects. A concluding essay draws out common themes and offers an initial synthesis of results."--BOOK JACKET Gathers papers from the conference held on the disappearance of writing systems, in Oxford in March 2004. This title offers a fresh perspective on approaches to writing that can be significant for the understanding of writing systems and their social functions, literacy, memory, and high-cultural communication systems in general. Gathers papers from the conference held on the disappearance of writing systems, in Oxford in March 2004. This work features case studies from the Old and New Worlds, ranging over periods from the first millennium BC. It offers a perspective on approaches to writing that can be helpful for the understanding of writing systems http://neareast.jhu.edu/bin/o/m/Redundancy%20Reconsidered%202008.pdf