? re Cuneiform in SOTW 1

[StaceyL in Canada]

The SOTW vol. 1 activity guide book inlcudes a "cuneifrom chart" and "huerglyoh chart" on p. 10 of the student pages (at the back of the book). Could anyone tell me where these charts came from? Since neither cuneiform nor hieroglyphics were alphabetic writing, who came up with these alphabetized equivalents? Are these just an invention of someone who contributed to the book?

 

I will be using these to let kids try their hand at these styles of writing, but I don't want them to think these are "authentic" if they are simply modern inventions!

 

Thanks.

[StaceyL in Canada]

The SOTW vol. 1 activity guide book inlcudes a "cuneifrom chart" and "huerglyoh chart" on p. 10 of the student pages (at the back of the book). Could anyone tell me where these charts came from? Since neither cuneiform nor hieroglyphics were alphabetic writing, who came up with these alphabetized equivalents? Are these just an invention of someone who contributed to the book?

 

I will be using these to let kids try their hand at these styles of writing, but I don't want them to think these are "authentic" if they are simply modern inventions!

 

Thanks.

 

..

[Lovedtodeath]

Egyptian heiroglyph writing included both pictures and letters, so that makes some sense. (Seeker of Knowledge by James Rumford is a good source for this.) I don't remember getting deeply into cuneiform writing, but perhaps it is the same.

Edited November 5, 2009 by Lovedtodeath

[Lovedtodeath]

Here is some additional info from my Instruction Guide:

 

For additional information and directions for Cuneiform writing see: http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/tablets/tab.htm

 

Look up your name in cuneiform at http://www.upennmuseum.com/cuneiform.cgi

 

Project: Hieroglyphic bookmark see http://www.usborne-quicklinks.com Keyword: beginners Egyptians, Website 2.

 

Usborne Quicklinks, keyword History, page 136

Try to read a story in hieroglyphics.

 

[StaceyL in Canada]

Egyptian heiroglyph writing included both pictures and letters, so that makes some sense. (Seeker of Knowledge by James Rumford is a good source for this.) I don't remember getting deeply into cuneiform writing, but perhaps it is the same.

 

Thanks. If you look at the cuneiform alphabet chart in the SOTW book, you'll see that each "figure" is develoed from the one prior to it, etc (eg, one vertical wedge for A, two for B, three for C, etc). There's no reason, though, why the order of sounds in Sumerian cuneiform would be the same as that in our Roman/ English alphabet, hence my sense that someone just made this up.

[Lovedtodeath]

I haven't looked at the AG. I just thought that maybe the links would help because you could compare. If it is just an invention from someone who contributed to the AG, then you could certainly change the projects to using the actual writing (from the links and book that I used) instead of what is in the AG if you prefer.