Tag Archive for 'Writing'

The 4,400-year-old clay object discovered at the ancient city of Umm el-Marra, Syria; the engraved symbols may be part of the earliest known alphabet. Image credit: Glenn Schwartz, Johns Hopkins University.

Archaeologists Discover Earliest-Known Alphabetic Writing

Nov 21, 2024 by News Staff

Dated to around 2400 BCE, the writing precedes other known alphabetic scripts by roughly 500 years, according to Johns Hopkins University’s Professor...

Cylinder seal and sealing impression: the king-priest and his acolyte feeding the sacred herd. Uruk period, ca. 3200 BCE. Image credit: Marie-Lan Nguyen.

Study: Cylinder Seals and Sealing Practices Stimulated Invention of Writing in Ancient South-West Asia

Nov 5, 2024 by News Staff

Administrative innovations in south-west Asia during the 4th millennium BCE, including the cylinder seals that were rolled on the earliest clay tablets,...

Wu et al. investigated the association of adult literacy activities (taking education classes, using a computer, and writing letters or journals) and active mental activities (playing games, cards, or chess and doing crosswords or puzzles) with dementia risk among older individuals. Image credit: Steve Buissinne.

Study: Engagement in Literacy and Active Mental Activities May Help Prevent Dementia in Older Age

Jul 17, 2023 by Natali Anderson

In a cohort study of over 10,000 older individuals in Australia, more frequent participation in adult literacy activities (taking education classes, using...