ancient writing systems

A, B, C: The Hidden Logic of Alphabetical Order

We learn the alphabet as children, but have you ever wondered why the letters are in that specific order? The…

2 weeks ago

The Cognitive Boost of Reading Aloud

Reading is often seen as a silent act, but what if giving voice to the words on the page could…

2 weeks ago

The Birth of a Question Mark

The question mark seems like a fundamental part of writing, but it wasn't always there. This ubiquitous symbol of curiosity…

3 weeks ago

The Scytale: Sparta’s Rolling Cipher

Long before digital encryption, the ancient Spartans secured their military secrets with a simple but ingenious device: the Scytale. This…

3 weeks ago

The Acrostic’s Secret History

Hiding a message in plain sight is the art of steganography, and the acrostic is its most literary tool. From…

3 weeks ago

The Uncracked Minoan Code: Linear A

We can read the sounds of the ancient Minoan script, Linear A, but we have no idea what the words…

3 weeks ago

Glagolitic: The Lost Slavic Alphabet

Before the familiar Cyrillic script dominated Eastern Europe, there was another, more mysterious alphabet designed for the Slavic people. We…

3 weeks ago

The Little Star: A History of the Asterisk (*)

Look at your keyboard. Tucked above the number 8 is a symbol we see every day, yet rarely think about:…

3 weeks ago

The Emperor’s Alphabet: The Story of Phags-pa Script

In the 13th century, Kublai Khan commissioned a single, official script to unite the vast, multilingual Mongol Empire. The result…

3 weeks ago

The Singapore Stone’s Lost Story

Long before the British arrived, a massive inscribed stone stood guard at the Singapore River's mouth, holding the secrets of…

3 weeks ago

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