The shape of script : how and why writing systems change / edited by Stephen D. Houston.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Houston, Stephen D.

Series:

School for Advanced Research advanced seminar series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Paleography.

Writing--History.

Writing.

History.

Physical Description:

xxiii, 317 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Santa Fe, N.M. : School for Advanced Research Press, 2012.

Summary:

Houston (anthropology, Brown U.) unites works by US contributors in classics, anthropology, and Near Eastern languages to shed light on principles and patterns of the birth, maintenance, and death of various writing scripts throughout history and around the world. There is also a chapter on the history of written numerals. Some specific subjects explored are paragraphs and punctuation in ancient Roman script, script and administration in Middle Kingdom Egypt, script change in Bronze Age China, the development of writing in Japan, and alphabetic and pictorial registers in Mixtec texts. The book is illustrated with numerous b&w photos of script examples. Its audience includes anthropologists, philologists, and archaeologists. Material originated at a seminar held by the School for Advanced Research. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Contents:

Cuneiform: Changes and Developments / Niek Veldhuis

Scripts, High Culture, and Administration in Middle Kingdom Egypt / John Baines

Paragrams, Punctuation, and System in Ancient Roman Script / John Bodel

Stability and Change in Arabic Script / Beatrice Gruendler

Some Principles and Patterns of Script Change / Richard Salomon

Script Change in Bronze Age China / Kyle Steinke

The Development of Writing in Japan / David B. Lurie

Maya Writing: Modified, Transformed / Stephen D. Houston

The Shape of Script in a Colonial Context: Alphabetic and Pictorial Registers in Mixtec Texts / John Monaghan

Trends and Transitions in the History of Written Numerals / Stephen Chrisomalis.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781934691427

1934691429

OCLC:

698450348