Humans Have Independently Invented Writing More Than Once, And Generally For The Same Purpose

The first writing that we have discovered is cuneiform; wedged-shaped characters pressed into clay tablets, and used to record some fairly dull transactions, a lackluster start for an invention that would later transform our species.

"The Mesopotamian cuneiform script can be traced furthest back into prehistory to an eighth millennium BC counting system using clay tokens of multiple shapes. The development from tokens to script reveals that writing emerged from counting and accounting," Denise Schmandt-Besserat, professor emerita of Art and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, and expert in the origins of writing, explains in a paper.

"Writing was used exclusively for accounting until the third millennium BC, when the Sumerian concern for the afterlife paved the way to literature by using writing for funerary inscriptions."

Cuneiform itself was thought to have evolved from the use of tokens. At sites dating from 8000–3000 BCE, tokens of various shapes and sizes were found, used by ancient people to represent different goods and keep track of sales. It may not be as exciting as Apple Pay was to smarmy people about five years ago, but this was a significant step in human history, representing goods with tokens, and those tokens being understood over a large area of the Near East, where multiple languages were spoken. 

Over time, this need to record transactions led to humans being able to express their language in written form, record more complex information and pass it down, and create all the works of literature.

It had been thought, prior to the 20th century, that written language must have shared a common origin and was spread throughout the world through trade, when others recognized how darn useful it is. But that view has changed somewhat with subsequent discoveries and analysis.

It is now thought that written language was invented independently perhaps even four times in human history. It is thought to have arisen in the form of hieroglyphics around 3200 BCE, in China around 1300-1200 BCE, and in Maya civilizations around 300-900 BCE. 

So, how did we invent this several times? It could be that once civilizations reach a certain level of complexity, it necessitates some form of representation to keep track of trade, food, and materials. For example, though there is debate about whether ancient Egyptians could have been influenced by Mesopotamia, the earliest hieroglyph examples we have found were likely tags to denote quantities of goods. 

The earliest example of script we have from China, however, was a little more interesting. The writing is found on "oracle bones". These are the bones of an ox and the shells of a turtle, used during the Late Shang period in ancient China for divination purposes. However, we do not know how long writing had been around in China at that point, and lack the evidence to say exactly how it came about.

When we have written communication, even in the form of receipts, humans appear to realize how useful it is for recording our thoughts, feelings, and facts, far beyond who owes who how many cows. These early languages evolved to record tales for the first time, and gave us insight into ancient lives. In short, next time you read a great work, take a moment to thank the accountants.