The technology of writing: Early writing surfaces
A cave wall painting or a monumental statue inscription were
ideal to depict past events, but they were somewhat lacking in
portability. It was fine if you lived nearby, or were just
passing, but what if you lived on the other side of the country?
It was the invention of new types of alphabets and writing
materials that gave the impetus to the great spread of
information that typified the classical Egyptian and Greek
eras.
Papyrus
Whilst the Egyptians kept a form of hieroglyphics long after
other peoples moved away from pictorial representation, they did
however change the writing medium. The papyrus reed grows in
profusion along the River Nile, and it was discovered that it
made an exceptionally strong writing surface, or paper (which is
the word derived from "papyrus").
One side effect of using this new paper was that because the
fibres went across from left to right in the completed sheets,
the lettering changed from vertical representation to the
orientation we know today.
Clay tablets
During the 3rd millenium B.C. the Sumerians moved away from
images, and represented a sound by making a simple mark on a
surface. The surface was soft clay and the implement was a piece
of wood, with one end slanted in the form of a stylus.
Whilst not as portable as Papyrus paper, the tablets marked a
great advance in that, combined with the new, shorter "cuneiform" writing, the written word was no longer restricted to a few sites and individuals.
Inks
It was during this same period that inks began to be
manufactured. Plant dyes and various earths had been used in
their raw state, or mixed with water or gums. It was now
discovered that the by-products of metal smelting or brick making
(Mineral/metal compounds or baked earths) made far longer-lasting
pigments.
The results
With these changes, it became possible to record events, store
them, copy them and carry them from place to place. Knowledge
could extend beyond its source and be absorbed many miles away.
The great spread of human philosophy and scientific ideas had
started.
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