Which civilization is credited with inventing writing: China, India, Mesopotamia, or Egypt?

Answer:

The invention of writing is credited to Mesopotamia.

Here’s an overview of the major civilizations and the development of their writing systems:

1. Mesopotamia (Sumerians) - Cuneiform Writing

Time Period: Around 3400–3300 BCE

Development: The Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia are credited with inventing the first known writing system, “cuneiform”. Initially developed to record economic transactions, cuneiform started as simple pictographs that evolved into wedge-shaped symbols pressed onto clay tablets. Over time, it grew to include phonetic elements, making it suitable for recording laws, stories, and other texts.

Purpose: Cuneiform was used for various purposes, including administrative records, literature (like the “Epic of Gilgamesh”), legal codes, and religious texts.

2. Egypt - Hieroglyphic Writing

Time Period: Around 3200–3000 BCE

Development: In Egypt, hier”oglyphs” emerged independently of Mesopotamian influence. This writing system began as pictorial symbols and later developed into a more complex script combining logographic and phonetic elements. Ancient Egyptians used papyrus, stone, and pottery shards as writing surfaces.

Purpose: Hieroglyphics were primarily used for religious texts, inscriptions in tombs, monuments, and administrative documents. The *Rosetta Stone*, discovered in 1799, played a key role in deciphering hieroglyphs in the 19th century.

3. Indus Valley Civilization - Indus Script

Time Period: Around 2600–1900 BCE

Development: The “Indus” script appeared in the cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, such as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro. This script, found on seals and pottery, comprises symbols that likely represent words or sounds. However, the Indus script remains undeciphered due to a lack of a bilingual text (like the Rosetta Stone for Egyptian hieroglyphs).

Purpose: Scholars believe the script was used for administrative or commercial purposes, but without deciphering it, much of its function remains speculative.

4. China - Oracle Bone Script

Time Period: Around 1250 BCE (Shang Dynasty)

Development: The earliest form of Chinese writing, the oracle bone script, was discovered on bones and shells used for divination in the Shang Dynasty. This script contains characters that resemble modern Chinese characters and served as the foundation for the logographic system that evolved into the modern Chinese script.

Purpose: The Oracle bone script was used primarily for religious purposes, specifically divination. Inscriptions recorded questions posed to ancestors or deities, and the answers were often used to guide decisions related to governance and war.

These writing systems laid the foundation for cultural and administrative continuity and greatly influenced the future of record-keeping, literature, and administration in each civilization.