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Undeciphered Writing Systems
An undeciphered writing system is a written form of language that is not currently understood. Many undeciphered writing systems date from several thousand years BC, though some more modern examples do exist. The term "writing systems" is used here loosely to refer to groups of glyphs which appear to have representational symbolic meaning, but which may include "systems" that are largely artistic in nature and are thus not examples of actual writing. The difficulty in deciphering these systems can arise from a lack of known language descendants or from the languages being entirely isolated, from insufficient examples of text having been found and even (such as in the case of Vinča) from the question of whether the symbols actually constitute a writing system at all. Some researchers have claimed to be able to decipher certain writing systems, such as those of Epi-Olmec, Phaistos and Indus texts; but to date, these claims have not been widely accepted within the scientific ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indus Script
The Indus script, also known as the Harappan script, is a corpus of symbols produced by the Indus Valley Civilisation. Most inscriptions containing these symbols are extremely short, making it difficult to judge whether or not they constituted a writing system used to record the as-yet unidentified language(s) of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Despite many attempts, the 'script' has not yet been deciphered, but efforts are ongoing. There is no known bilingual inscription to help decipher the script, and the script shows no significant changes over time. However, some of the syntax (if that is what it may be termed) varies depending upon location. The first publication of a seal with Harappan symbols dates to 1875, in a drawing by Alexander Cunningham. By 1992, an inscribed objects had been discovered, some as far afield as Mesopotamia, due to ancient Indus–Mesopotamia relations, with over 400 distinct signs represented across known inscriptions. Some scholars, such as G. R. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dadiwan Symbols
The Dadiwan culture (c. 7900–7200 BP) was a Neolithic culture located primarily in the eastern portion of Gansu and Shaanxi provinces in modern China. The culture takes its name from the deepest cultural layer found during the original excavation of the type site at Dadiwan. The remains of millet, pigs and dogs have been found in sites associated with the culture, which is itself defined by a thin-walled, cord-marked ceramic tradition sometimes referred to as Laoguantai. The Dadiwan culture shares a variety of common features, in pottery, architecture, and economy, with the Cishan and Peiligang cultures to the east. The Dadiwan type site in Qin'an County, Gansu sits atop a fan toe produced by a gully that drains into the Qingshui River valley, itself a tributary of the Wei River. The site was originally excavated from 1975 to 1984, and again in 2004, 2006, and 2009. The most recent excavations reveal that humans had occupied the location sporadically for at least the last 60, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guangxi
Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằng Province, Cao Bằng, Lạng Sơn Province, Lạng Sơn, and Quảng Ninh Provinces) and the Gulf of Tonkin. Formerly a Provinces of China, province, Guangxi became an autonomous region in 1958. Its current capital is Nanning. Guangxi's location, in mountainous terrain in the far south of China, has placed it on the frontier of Chinese civilization throughout much of History of China, Chinese history. The current name "Guang" means "expanse" and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in 226 AD. It was given Administrative divisions of the Yuan dynasty, provincial level status during the Yuan dynasty, but ev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sawgoek
Sawgoek ("root script", IPA: ) or sawva ("insect script", ) was a mythological ancient script mentioned in the Zhuang creation epic '' Baeu Rodo'' ( modern Zhuang script: ''Baeuqroekdoz''). The primordial god Baeu Ro was said to have brought ''sawgoek'' containing four thousand glyphs along with fire to the Zhuang people. However, in their unfamiliarity with fire, the people stored the fire under a thatched roof, causing the house to catch on fire. The ''sawgoek'' was consumed in the ensuing conflagration, and knowledge of writing was lost. Some Zhuang scholars believe that this myth stems from a vague remembrance of ''sawgoek'' in the collective consciousness of the Zhuang people long after knowledge of the writing system had been forgotten. Sawveh ("etched script", ) refers to some 140 individual symbols inscribed on stonework, pottery, and bronzeworks excavated in western Guangxi, dating from the late Neolithic to the Bronze Age, the earliest examples being contemporary with th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wucheng Culture
The Wucheng culture (吳城文化) was a Bronze Age archaeological culture in Jiangxi, China. The initial site, spread out over , was discovered at Wucheng Township, Jiangxi. Located on the Gan River, the site was first excavated in 1973. The Wucheng culture probably developed in response to cultural contacts with the expanding Erligang culture, melding Erligang influences with local traditions. The Wucheng culture was a distinct contemporary of Sanxingdui and Yinxu (Anyang). The site at Wucheng was a regional protoporcelain production center; the culture is known for its distinctive geometric pottery. The Wucheng culture is also known for its bronze bells, the clapperless ''nao''. The Wucheng site at Xingan (archaeological site), Xingan contained a rich cache of localized bronze vessels. The bronze axes were similar to those of the Dong Dau culture in the Red River (Asia), Red River valley. The earliest period, around 1600 BCE, contemporaneous with late Erligang, yielded pottery s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wucheng Symbols
Wu Cheng or Wucheng may refer to: People *Emperor Wucheng of Northern Qi (537–569), emperor of the Northern Qi dynasty *Wu Cheng (Wuyue) (893–965), chancellor of the Wuyue Kingdom *Wu Cheng (philosopher) (1249–1333), philosopher during the Song and Yuan dynasties Places in China *Wucheng County, a county in Shandong *Wucheng District, a district in Jinhua, Zhejiang *Wucheng Township, Zhangshu, a township in Zhangshu, Jiangxi **Wucheng culture, Bronze Age culture in Wucheng Township, Zhangshu * Wucheng Township, Shanxi (吴城乡), a township in Hunyuan County, Shanxi *Wucheng Subdistrict (坞城街道), a subdistrict in Xiaodian District, Taiyuan, Shanxi Towns * Wucheng, Wuwei County (无城), in Wuwei County, Anhui * Wucheng, Xiuning County (五城), in Xiuning County, Anhui * Wucheng, Tongbai County (吴城), in Tongbai County, Henan * Wucheng, Wuyang County (吴城), in Wuyang County, Henan * Wucheng, Jiangsu (吴城), in Huai'an, Jiangsu * Wucheng, Yongxiu County (吴城 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yangtze Civilization
Yangtze civilization () is a generic name for various ancient Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures from the Yangtze basin of China, the representative civilization of the Chinese alongside the Yellow River civilization. Cultures Upper Yangtze *Pengtoushan culture (7000–6100 BCE) *Daxi culture (5000–3000 BCE) *Qujialing culture (3400–2600 BCE) *Shijiahe culture (2500–2000 BCE) Lower Yangtze *Hemudu culture (5500–3300 BCE) *Majiabang culture (5000–3300 BCE)Wang, Haiming (2001), "Majiabang", in Peregrine, Peter N.; Ember, Martin, Encyclopedia of Prehistory, Volume 3: East Asia and Oceania, Springer, pp. 206–221, . *Songze culture (3800–3300 BCE ) *Liangzhu culture (3300–2300 BCE ) *Wucheng culture (1600 BCE–? ) See also *Yellow river civilization *Liao civilization The Liao Civilization or Liao River Civilization (), named after the Liao River, is an ancient Chinese civilization that originated in the Liao basin. It is thought to have formed in about 6,200 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Longshan Culture
The Longshan (or Lung-shan) culture, also sometimes referred to as the Black Pottery Culture, was a late Neolithic culture in the middle and lower Yellow River valley areas of northern China from about 3000 to 1900 BC. The first archaeological find of this culture took place at the Chengziya Archaeological Site in 1928, with the first excavations in 1930 and 1931. The culture is named after the nearby modern town of Longshan (lit. "Dragon Mountain") in Zhangqiu, Shandong. The culture was noted for its highly polished black pottery (or egg-shell pottery). The population expanded dramatically during the 3rd millennium BC, with many settlements having rammed earth walls. It decreased in most areas around 2000 BC until the central area evolved into the Bronze Age Erlitou culture. The Longshan culture has been linked to the early Sinitic (of the Sino-Tibetan languages). According to the area and cultural type, the Longshan culture can be divided into two types: Shandong Longshan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Longshan Symbols
Since the second half of the 20th century, inscriptions have been found on pottery in a variety of locations in China, such as Banpo near Xi'an, as well as on bone and bone marrows at Hualouzi, Chang'an County near Xi'an. These simple, often geometric, marks have been frequently compared to some of the earliest known Chinese characters appearing on the oracle bones, and some have taken them to mean that the history of Chinese writing extends back over six millennia. However, only isolated instances of these symbols have been found, and they show no indication of representing speech or of the non-pictorial processes that a writing system requires. Nature of the symbols At a range of Neolithic sites in China, small numbers of symbols of either pictorial or simple geometric nature have been unearthed which were incised into or drawn or painted on artifacts, mostly on pottery but in some instances on turtle shells, animal bones or artifacts made from bone or jade.Qiu 2000, p.30 Thes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dawenkou Culture
The Dawenkou culture was a Chinese Neolithic culture primarily located in the eastern province of Shandong, but also appearing in Anhui, Henan and Jiangsu. The culture existed from 4300 to 2600 BC, and co-existed with the Yangshao culture. Turquoise, jade and ivory artefacts are commonly found at Dawenkou sites. The earliest examples of alligator drums appear at Dawenkou sites. Neolithic signs, perhaps related to subsequent scripts, such as those of the Shang dynasty, have been found on Dawenkou pottery. Chronology Archaeologists commonly divide the culture into three phases: the early phase (4100–3500 BC), the middle phase (3500–3000 BC) and the late phase (3000–2600 BC). Based on the evidence from grave goods, the early phase was highly egalitarian. The phase is typified by the presence of individually designed, long-stemmed cups. Graves built with earthen ledges became increasingly common during the latter parts of the early phase. During the middle phase, grave goods ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dawenkou Symbols
Since the second half of the 20th century, inscriptions have been found on pottery in a variety of locations in China, such as Banpo near Xi'an, as well as on bone and bone marrows at Hualouzi, Chang'an County near Xi'an. These simple, often geometric, marks have been frequently compared to some of the earliest known Chinese characters appearing on the oracle bones, and some have taken them to mean that the history of Chinese writing extends back over six millennia. However, only isolated instances of these symbols have been found, and they show no indication of representing speech or of the non-pictorial processes that a writing system requires. Nature of the symbols At a range of Neolithic sites in China, small numbers of symbols of either pictorial or simple geometric nature have been unearthed which were incised into or drawn or painted on artifacts, mostly on pottery but in some instances on turtle shells, animal bones or artifacts made from bone or jade.Qiu 2000, p.30 Thes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jiangzhai Symbols
Jiangzhai () is a Banpo phase Yangshao culture archaeological site in the east of Xi'an, where the earliest copper artifacts in China were found. The Jiangzhai site is located on the east bank of the Lin River in Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, only east of the Banpo site and about from the center of Xi'an. Excavated between 1972 and 1979, it is a prehistoric settlement site of the Neolithic period in the Yellow River Basin. The Jiangzhai site is about 6,700 years old and contains the remains of five different cultural phases of the Neolithic Yangshao culture such as the Hanpo type, Shijia type, Miaodigou type, Xiwangcun type and KeShanZhuang II type of the Longshan culture. It is the largest and most complete Neolithic village site discovered so far in the Yellow River basin. Of the site, 16,580 m2 has been excavated, resulting in the discovery of 600 tombs and 10,000 objects of interest, most of them being utensils such as pottery and bone utensils. Some brass ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
