gmorf33 t1_itcj7k3 wrote on October 22, 2022 at 4:30 PM

Reply to comment by MajorGeneralInternet in Human 'bog bones' discovered at Stone Age campsite in Germany by wishywashy9101

Makes sense why early writing could have been seen as magic. Capturing memories, ideas, and knowledge into something physical that can be shared and passed down. I wonder, if similar to photographs which were looked at with a lot of superstition, if early writing/runes had this same aura.

David_bowman_starman t1_itdbohs wrote on October 22, 2022 at 7:46 PM

Currently we think that writing arose more as just a slow evolution from counting, as the symbols for amounts became more streamlined and abstract over time, eventually turning into a full written alphabet. But it definitely was reserved for only an elite few for a long time, even if more just for accounting purposes.