Art in Depth: How Ancient Writing Began

• Type: Art In Depth
• Collection: Ancient American Art, Ancient Art, East Asian Art, Egyptian Art, Pre-Columbian Art
• Culture/Region: America, China, Egypt
• Subject Area: History and Social Science, Science, Visual Arts
• Grade Level: 2-5

As early civilizations developed, societies became more complicated. Record keeping and communication demanded something beyond symbols and pictures to represent the spoken word. This gallery explores the early writing systems of four ancient civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, and Mesoamerica. Here you’ll also learn about the Rosetta Stone, the 19^th-century discovery that gave scholars the key that unlocked the language of ancient Egypt.

• How ancient writing began…and ended.
• Say What? Egypt
• The Rosetta Stone
• Say What? Mesopotamia
• Say What? China
• Say What? Mesoamerica
• Say What? Object slideshow

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