Comparison of Linear Elamite and Indus Writing Systems.

Fuls, Andreas

Linear Elamite writing was used during the Bronze Age in the southwestern lowlands and central highlands of the Iranian plateau. The comparison of Linear-Elamite and Indus writing from the northern part of the Indian subcontinent contribute to our understanding of literacy in these regions. They are, as far as we can tell, not directly related to each other, but the idea of writing and the general way of creating pictographic and abstract graphemes representing a language and transmitting meaning may have spread from one region to the other since the beginning of the Middle Bronze age around 2200 BCE. Both writing systems share several features such as general methods of sign modification and reading direction, but the type of writing and degree of phonetization seems to be very different. Therefore, the exploration and comparison of both writing systems will contribute to the overall study of the origin of writing in Southwest Asia.

BRONZE Age; GRAPHEMICS; UPLANDS; SUBCONTINENTS; LITERACY

Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies, 2024, Vol 14, Issue 1, p3

2251-743X

Academic Journal

10.22111/IJAS.2024.48980.1305