How Writing Came About

In 1992, The University Of Texas Press Published Before Writing, Volume I: From Counting To Cuneiform And Before Writing, Volume Ii: A Catalog Of Near Eastern Tokens. In These Two Volumes, Denise Schmandt-besserat Set Forth Her Groundbreaking Theory That The Cuneiform Script Invented In The Near East In The Late Fourth Millennium B.c. - The World's Oldest Known System Of Writing - Derived From Anarchaic Counting Device. How Writing Came About Draws Material From Both Volumes To Present Schmandt-besserat's Theory For A Wide Public And Classroom Audience. Based On The Analysis And Interpretation Of A Selection Of 8,000 Tokens Or Counters From 116 Sites In Iran, Iraq, The Levant, And Turkey, It Documents The Immediate Precursor Of The Cuneiform Script. Preface -- Introduction: Tokens, A New Theory -- Pt. 1. The Evidence -- 1. What Are Tokens? -- 2. Where Tokens Were Handled And Who Used Them -- 3. Strings Of Tokens And Envelopes -- 4. Impressed Tablets -- Pt. 2. The Interpretation -- 5. The Evolution Of Symbols In Prehistory -- 6. Tokens: The Socioeconomic Implications -- 7. Counting And The Emergence Of Writing -- 8. Conclusions: Tokens, Their Role In Prehistory And Their Contribution To Archaeology -- Pt. 3. The Artifacts -- Notes -- Glossary -- Index. Denise Schmandt-besserat. Abridged Edition Of Before Writing, Volume I: From Counting To Cuneiform. Includes Index.