Talk: “The Sacred Reed: A Look at the World’s First Successful Writing Systems, Mesopotamian Cuneiform and Egyptian Hieroglyphics” by Wayne T. Pitard

• Event Date: Sunday, November 4, 2018
• Time: 3:00 pm (CDT)
• Location: Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St., Urbana, IL
• Cost: Free Admission

• Talk

Part of the Archaeological Institute of America Lecture Series

Since the beginning of writing, about 3400 BCE, only four truly successful systems have developed across the world. Two of these, the alphabet and the Chinese writing system, are the foundation of all the major written scripts in use today. The other two, Mesopotamian cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphics, were the first systems to be invented, and each lasted over three thousand years before succumbing to the alphabet. Examining how these early systems worked provides considerable insight into the origins of writing, the extraordinary development of a symbolic way to communicate across time and space, and one of the most important inventions in human experience.

This talk is organized by the Central Illinois Society of the Archaeological Institute of America (external link).