-
Pictographs in Spain show the first form of storytelling. Red ochre pictures line cave walls to show a series of events (Frithowulf). -
In Pakistan and India, objects were found that had symbols on them. Scholars have not been able to make out a whole language, but there are at least 400 symbols that are similar to Egyptian hieroglyphs (Clayton). -
Cuneiform, the Sumerian writing system, was used to write various languages throughout the Eastern world. Cuneiform consisted of triangular symbols that writers pressed into clay (Glassner). -
Egyptian hieroglyphs were used on ivory tablets. They started by carving the characters. Eventually, reed pens and ink became the first instance of writing rather than carving. The writing was known as hieratic (Clayton). -
Near the Yellow River in China, bones with carvings have been found. Over 4,500 different symbols have been identified. They have been connected to current Chinese characters (Clayton). -
Pre-colonial Mesoamerica had two different writing systems. There were open systems, like mnemonic devices, where there wasn't much grammar or sound structure. These were usually used by the Aztecs in Central Mexico. Closed systems were focused on sound structure, much like we use today. The Maya used languages like these (Clayton). -
The first instance of Latin writing read from right to left, as many languages used to. The characters were based on the Greek alphabet and Egyptian hieroglyphics (Frithowulf). -
Though there were different types of parchment -- like those made of leather -- invented earlier, it was first written on now. It got its name from Pergamum, an ancient city in Asia Minor (Frithowulf). -
When the printing press was invented, it changed the course of writing forever. Lines of letters were aligned, creating a better organization of writing (Schmandt-Besserat). -
Rapa Nui, Polynesia was discovered to hold 24 wooden tablets that had unique glyphs. These tablets, called rongorongo, had characters relating to humans, animals, and plants. There is no doubt that they had a complete writing system. The time of creation is unknown, but they were found in the 19th century (Clayton). -
When the modern pen was invented, people were able to write on parchment significantly faster, and without stopping to redip in ink (Frithowulf). -
The typewriter was the first instance of the Qwerty keyboard. It significantly sped up the process of writing (Frithowulf). -
When Ray Tomlinson sent the first email, it signaled a new future of communication. Machines could now communicate back-and-forth everywhere (Frithowulf). -
When short message service (SMS) was developed, no one knew it would be the future of communication. Dozens of billions of text messages are sent every day, showing just how massive this development has been (Frithowulf). -
It is clear that writing has come so far from the first pictographs. Writing used to be solely storytelling, and now it has blossomed into communication. Modern-day language is based on Latin, which is based on Greek, which is based on Egyptian hieroglyphs, which date back to the first ever pictograph. We also see ourselves reverting back to pictographs when we use emojis. This means that without a doubt, future writing will be built upon what is now the qwerty keyboard, email, and texting.
-
Glassner, Jean-Jacques, et al. “Introduction.” The Invention of Cuneiform: Writing in Sumer, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, 2007, pp. 1–2.
-
Clayton, Ewan. “Where Did Writing Begin?” British Library, bl.uk. Accessed 27 June 2023.
-
Schmandt-Besserat, Denise. “The Evolution of Writing.” Denise Schmandt-Besserat, 6 Feb. 2021, sites.utexas.edu/dsb/tokens/the-evolution-of-writing/.
-
Frithowulf, Hrothsige. “Timeline of the History of Writing: From 40.000 BC to Today.” Malevus, 19 June 2023, malevus.com/writing-history-timeline/.