'Earliest Writing' Found In China

BBC ^ | 4-17-2003 | Paul Rincon

[blam]

'Earliest writing' found in China

By Paul Rincon
BBC Science

First attempt at writing .. on a tortoise shell

Signs carved into 8,600-year-old tortoise shells found in China may be the earliest written words, say archaeologists.

The symbols were written down in the late Stone Age, or Neolithic Age.

They predate the earliest recorded writings from Mesopotamia - in what is now Iraq - by more than 2,000 years.

The archaeologists say they bear similarities to written characters used thousands of years later during the Shang dynasty, which lasted from 1700-1100 BC.

But the discovery has already generated controversy, with one leading researcher in the field branding it "an anomaly".

The archaeologists have identified 11 separate symbols inscribed on the tortoise shells.

The shells were found buried with human remains in 24 Neolithic graves unearthed at Jiahu in Henan province, western China.

The character for 'eye', similar to inscriptions in the latest find

The site has been radiocarbon dated to between 6,600 and 6,200 BC.

The research was carried out by Dr Garman Harbottle, of the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York and a team of archaeologists at the University of Science and Technology of China in Anhui province.

"What [the markings] appear to show are meaningful signs that have a correspondence with ancient Chinese writing," said Dr Harbottle.

The Neolithic markings include symbols that resemble the characters for "eye" and "window" and the numerals eight and 20 in the Shang script.

"If you pick up a bottle with a skull and crossbones on it, you know instantly that it's poison without the word being spelt out. We're used to signs that convey concepts and I wouldn't be surprised if that's what we're seeing here," Dr Harbottle added.

Writing discovery from gravesite dig

However, Professor David Keightley of the University of California, Berkeley, urged caution, particularly over the proposed link to the much later Shang script.

"There is a gap of about 5,000 years [between them]. It seems astonishing that they would be connected," said Professor Keightley.

He added that the link had to be proved more thoroughly.

But Dr Harbottle points to the persistence of sign use at different sites along the Yellow River throughout the Neolithic and up to the Shang period, when a complex writing system appears.

He emphasised that he was not suggesting the Neolithic symbols had the same meanings as Shang characters they resembled.

Professor Keightley added: "It's a puzzle and an anomaly; [the symbols] are remarkably early. We can't call it writing until we have more evidence."

Shaman rituals

He noted that there were signs the Neolithic culture at Jiahu may not have been complex enough to require a writing system.

But Professor Keightley did say that the signs appeared to be highly "schematised" or stylised. This is a feature of Chinese written characters.

Aggregations of small pebbles were found close to several of the tortoise shells.

The Jiahu researchers propose that the shells once contained the pebbles and were used as musical rattles in shamanistic rituals.

In one grave, eight sets of tortoise shells were placed above the skeletal remains of a man whose head was missing.

The shells come from graves where, in 1999, the researchers unearthed ancient bone flutes.

These flutes are the earliest musical instruments known to date.

The research is published in the journal Antiquity.

[PLMerite]

"Here I sit, broken hearted..."

[montag813]

Good, hopefully now we can stop the whining on CNN about how Iraq is "where civilization began".

[Quix]

GREAT ARTICLE.

THANKS.

The National Palace Museum in Taipei has some such 7,000+ years old.

[D-fendr]

Is that work still valid?

Dunno. First learned of it 25 years ago; last saw it referenced (as valid) about five or so years ago I think.

I did a little googling: Here's a link to her book.  The local rag did a lengthy article about her in 1992 here.

Biblical Archaeology Review published an article by her in Jan, 2002.

She was also lecturing on it in 2002, here.

Seems to me it's certainly still in play.

[liberallarry]

Thanks for the references. It'll take me awhile to go through them. If I find anything of interest I'll certainly let you know.

It seems to me that this was certainly "proto" writing. I wonder why the article's author doesn't mention it.

[SunkenCiv]

Another oldie that I'd missed. Thanks Blam. And now, an off-topic, drolly humorous interlude...

How does a liberal change a lightbulb? Doesn't. Under the zero-tolerance policy for burned-out bulbs, the ethnically balanced (i.e. non-white) maintenance staff is required to make sure all bulbs are lit at all times, and when burned out, replaced with strict observance of OSHA guidelines. [rimshot!]

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[SunkenCiv]

thanks, D-fendr:

---

How Writing Came About by Denise Schmandt-Besserat U of T page

---

[SunkenCiv]

a couple of D-fendr's links died, here are the Wayback Machine links:

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.bib-arch.org/bswb_BAR/aojf02origins.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20021112022314/http://bib-arch.org/bswb_BAR/aojf02origins.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20030120234611/http://bib-arch.org/bswb_BAR/aojf02origins.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20030327104335/http://www.bib-arch.org/bswb_BAR/aojf02origins.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20030402151911/http://www.bib-arch.org/bswb_BAR/aojf02origins.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20030607224837/http://bib-arch.org/bswb_BAR/aojf02origins.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20030625012208/http://www.bib-arch.org/bswb_BAR/aojf02origins.html

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/releases/2002/02writing.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20030101061211/http://www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/releases/2002/02writing.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20030301202917/http://www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/releases/2002/02writing.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20030502224323/http://www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/releases/2002/02writing.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20030818204932/http://www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/releases/2002/02writing.html

[SunkenCiv]

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[tet68]

Message found on 5,000 year old turtle shells...

Pick up two turtles, put one on post for later.