The Development of the Written Word

The Development of the Written Word

by Mr. Boswell

Writing from stone to paper

• The very first pieces of writing was on stone cliffs, pieces of bone and clay tablets.

• These materials last for a long time but are bulky and heavy, making them hard to move.

Cuneiform and Clay

• Cuneiform is wedge-shaped writing from Mesopotamia.

• It is written mostly on clay by making marks using a stylus pressed into the clay.

• Once hardened, clay is durable and fire-resistant.

Multiple Choice

What is one advantage of clay tablets?

• They are heavy.

• They are hard to transport.

• They are durable.

• They are hard to read.

From Tablets to Paper

• Clay will not work well for Egyptian hieroglyphs.

• Their writing requires a flat surface to carve or paint.

• Using the stems of the papyrus plant, they would make paper.

Papyrus Plant

Multiple Choice

Egyptian hieroglyphs were written on?

• Bone

• Clay tablets

• Papyrus paper

• Metal

The Problem of Writing

• For most of history, owning a book or scroll was so expensive, few could do it.

• It could take three years for one copy of the Bible to be hand written!

• Reading and writing was for the church and the rich, meaning few people access it.

Multiple Choice

Why were books so rare and expensive in ancient and medieval times?

• Most people did not want to read.

• Books were copied by hand.

• Many ancient books were destroyed every year.

• Many leaders thought books were unimportant.

Game Changer: Printing Press

• Johannes Gutenberg invented a press that allowed for the copying of pages quickly.

• He used movable type letters to make the text.

• Books became much more accessible and cheaper.

Multiple Choice

Which invention changed the way books were made?

• Compass

• Astrolabe

• Printing Press

• Metallurgy