Abstract

A comparison of the evidence for the earliest scripts in different parts of the world
suggests that an apparent preponderance of ceremonial; and symbolic usage should not
be interpreted too literally. It seems to have more to do with archaeological preservation
- the better survival in archaeological contexts of the durable materials preferred as
vehicles for ceremonial texts - than with any deep-seated differences in the function of
the scripts. I t may well be that the earliest Chinese, Egyptian or Mesoamerican texts were
largely as utilitarian in their application as those of Mesopotamia.