I was just in Hong Kong and had a discussion about the development of Chinese writing and kanjis. According to the person I was talking to Chinese went through a phase in the distant past where the writing looked like what I would call runes as it looked very similar to European/Middle Eastern runes.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/895879/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1723033/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1835902/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3041492/posts
sidebar, I’m thinking here of the Shang connection:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1701838/posts