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3500 BCE
Cuneiform
The oldest known writing in the world are carvings and marks on a limestone tablet which was found in Mesopotamia and is estimated to be about 5,500 years old. Sumerian scribes slowly developed these symbols into a kind of writing which is known as cuneiform. -
3100 BCE
The hieroglyphic script
This writing spread widely in the Near East, while the
ancient Egyptians developed a type of picture-writing: the hieroglyphic script. -
1800 BCE
Phoenician syllabic script
Another important early syllabic script was that used in the Phoenician city of Byblos – from which comes the word ‘Bible’, meaning ‘book’! -
1500 BCE
Linear A and Linear B
The first writing, however, to be written consistently in
horizontal lines, were two forms of syllabic script used by the Minoans on the Greek isle of Crete in 1500 BC.Because of this, these two forms are known as Linear A and Linear B. -
1397
Johann Gutenberg
Johann Gutenberg, who was a German goldsmith, was the first European to produce movable, metal letters, which could be used again and again. He converted a wine press into the first printing press and found a durable metal to make the letters from. Gutenberg’s invention turned out to be revolutionary: books could now be printed cheaply and in
great numbers. Mankind began to rush forwards! -
1468
Middle Ages - Printing
The most important invention of the Middle Ages was printing. Until the 15th century, all European books were either copied by hand or printed from wooden blocks that had been carved with the text of an entire page. Both these methods were extremely time-consuming and books were
very expensive. -
E-Books
In our days, electronic books, better known as e-books, have begun to revolutionise the way people read. What are e-books? They are books in digital format, meaning that they can be viewed on a computer screen, or even the latest cell phones! -
E-Books vs Traditional books
Like traditional books, they have titles, pages, chapters, and illustrations. Unlike traditional books, they can be ordered on-line and they are delivered electronically to your computer. They are more convenient than books, since it is much easier to carry around a laptop rather than dozens of heavy books.They are also cheaper than conventional books, which makes them an attractive alternative to consumers.