Mespowrite

Timeline of the Written Word

  • 3400 BCE

    Mesopotamia Symbols

    Mesopotamia Symbols
  • Period: 3400 BCE to 3100 BCE

    Mesopotamian Symbols

    One of the earliest known languages to be written down, this was more likely used as a way to keep track of commerce and trade, rather than used for depicting stories or sharing information. The symbols usually represent the exact word, animal, or feeling it is being written down as. This is where we got the Epic of Gilgamesh.
  • 3250 BCE

    Egyptian Hieroglyphs

    Egyptian Hieroglyphs
  • Period: 3250 BCE to 750 BCE

    Egyptian Hieroglyphs

    Egyptian hieroglyphs were used as a way to communicate with writing shown as images. This made it a lot easier for trade, and history telling to be written down.
  • Period: 1450 BCE to 1200 BCE

    Chinese Oracle Bones

    These Ox shoulder bones were most commonly used in ancient Chinese culture for divination ceremonies.
  • 1350 BCE

    Oracle Bones

    Oracle Bones
  • 1200 BCE

    Iron Age Writing Symbols

    Iron Age Writing Symbols
  • Period: 1200 BCE to 1050 BCE

    Iron Age Writing

    The Phoenician alphabet gave way to the Greek and Aramaic languages, these symbols were complex and could represent vowels and letters. Lots of scrolls and parchment were used in the Iron Age of writing
  • 400 BCE

    Mayan Writing Style

    Mayan Writing Style
  • Period: 400 BCE to

    Southern Mexican and Guatemalan Writing

    Closely related to hieroglyphs, Mesoamerica writing styles started formation independently in 500 BC. From a single found inscription, around 15 different writing styles were found and discovered.
  • 500

    Middle Age Writing Style

    Middle Age Writing Style
  • Period: 500 to 1400

    Middle Age Writing

    The main language, Latin, was seeing a sharp decline in use after the fall of Roman authority in Western Europe. Other languages being used instead of Latin formed ways of writing cursive, this made it easier to write faster and not tire out your hands as much.
  • 1400

    Renaissance Writing

    Renaissance Writing
  • Period: 1400 to

    Renaissance Era Writing

    The rebirth of western Europe or the Renaissance came with a boom in the use of Latin, and Greek languages. Lots of new way of writing became very popular, more poetic and theatrical ways of writing showed up. Shakespeare was very very popular at this point in time.
  • Modern Era Writing

    Modern Era Writing
  • Period: to

    Modern Era of Writing

    In the last 100 years alone there have been many great strides in writing technology. The pen and the printing press, typewriters. Even newer technology like computers and smartphone have made it even easier to write everything down. We don't have to use the primitive stone and wet clay method anymore.