The Archaeology of Writing: Exploring its Origins, Evolution, and Decipherment

The birth of writing is one of the great unsolved problems in the history and science of archaeology and linguistics. Archaeologists have for centuries struggled to understand its origins and what cognitive spark started the recording of thoughts and experiences inscribed in rock and on bone, painted on fragments of ceramics and walls, and later written on papyrus, parchment, and paper. This class will explore what is known of the deep past and archaeology of writing in places like ancient Egypt, the Indus valley, China, and the Americas. Students will learn about the structure of ancient writing systems, discuss new research from the field of cognitive archaeology, and delve into the process of reading many still undeciphered languages and inscriptions.