{"product_id":"before-writing-vol-i-from-counting-to-cuneiform-9781477325766","title":"Before Writing, Vol. I: From Counting to Cuneiform","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA fascinating book on the origins of writing.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eBefore Writing\u003c\/i\u003e gives a new perspective on the evolution of communication. It points out that when writing began in Mesopotamia it was not, as previously thought, a sudden and spontaneous invention. Instead, it was the outgrowth of many thousands of years' worth of experience at manipulating symbols. \u003cp\u003e In \u003ci\u003eVolume I: From Counting to Cuneiform\u003c\/i\u003e, Denise Schmandt-Besserat describes how in about 8000 B.C., coinciding with the rise of agriculture, a system of counters, or tokens, appeared in the Near East. These tokens--small, geometrically shaped objects made of clay--represented various units of goods and were used to count and account for them. The token system was a breakthrough in data processing and communication that ultimately led to the invention of writing about 3100 B.C. Through a study of archaeological and epigraphic evidence, Schmandt-Besserat traces how the Sumerian cuneiform script, the first writing system, emerged from a counting device. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e In \u003ci\u003eVolume II: A Catalog of Near Eastern Tokens\u003c\/i\u003e, Schmandt-Besserat presents the primary data on which she bases her theories. These data consist of several thousand tokens, catalogued by country, archaeological site, and token types and subtypes. The information also includes the chronology, stratigraphy, museum ownership, accession or field number, references to previous publications, material, and size of the artifacts. Line drawings and photographs illustrate the various token types. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=AUTH-303370\"\u003eDenise Schmandt-Besserat\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Texas Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/15\/2022\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 284\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.58lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 10.87h x 8.43w x 0.71d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781477325766\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN10:\u003c\/b\u003e 147732576X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBISAC Categories:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-ART\"\u003eArt\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-ART026000\"\u003eSculpture \u0026amp; Installation\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-ANT\"\u003eAntiques \u0026amp; Collectibles\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-ANT000000\"\u003eGeneral\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-SOC\"\u003eSocial Science\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-SOC003000\"\u003eArchaeology\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDenise Schmandt-Besserat is Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"University of Texas Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44593951080685,"sku":"9781477325766","price":79.17,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/8097\/6621\/products\/img_4bfaa0cb-b7e0-4e93-baa7-2999b8571995.jpg?v=1702319786","url":"https:\/\/sureshotbooks.com\/products\/before-writing-vol-i-from-counting-to-cuneiform-9781477325766","provider":"SureShot Books Publishing LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}