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How to Develop and Use of Proto-writing in Ancient Iran

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Archaeology of Iran in the Historical Period

Part of the book series: University of Tehran Science and Humanities Series ((UTSHS))

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Abstract

The first earliest Tablets have been found by French excavations in Susa in the nineteenth century. The deciphered of Writing System of Tablets is at Beginning, but they bring light on the archaic Bookkeeping system and some writing evidences of Iranian Proto-writing Period. Archaeologies have been found the proto-writing tablets from other urban center of Iran such as, Choga-Mich, Geser, Malyan, Yahya, Shahre Sokhte, Godin, Sialk, Goli Darwish, Ozbaki and Sofalin. The archaeological levels cover Susa 2 and 3 in Khuzistan, Banesh in Fars and New Plateau in Iranian Plateau Zone. Apart from Iran and Mesopotamia proto-writing tablets have been found from Syrian and Turkey. The Tablets from Syrian and Turkey belong to only Late Uruk or pre Proto-Elamite phase. The present paper represents an attempt to the emergence of proto-writing in ancient Iran. The term “Proto-writing” refers high Culture period, with two pre and proto-Elamit Phases, dating roughly to the ca. 5300–4800 B.P. The tablets from this Period are the earliest writing documents in ancient Iran. The most of the ancient Iranian proto-writing Tablets are administrative documents recording. The administrative tablets record varying quantities of goods or measure of the collection and distribution, for example herding of animal and grain by sign or sign combination. The second attempts a clear relationship between the proto-Elamite and proto-cuneiform scripts. The tablet format is a good indication of chronological development of writing in this Period. At the same time of Proto-Writing or high culture period, have been found Tablets from Mesopotamia, dating to the final stage of Uruk and Jamdat-Nasr Periods.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The Rey plain is located in north-central Iranian Plateau at an elevation of between 800 and 1200 m. This semi-arid fertile plain is limited by the Alborz mountain range in the north and the Dasht-e-Kavir desert in the south.

  2. 2.

    More about late plateau and Susa II = late Uruk and Susa III = Jamdat-Nasr see: Malek Shahmirzadi (2006: 98) and Dittmann (1986: 76–147).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Archaeology, Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

    Morteza Hessari

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  1. Morteza Hessari
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Correspondence to Morteza Hessari .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Archaeology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Kamal-Aldin Niknami

  2. Department of Archaeology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Ali Hozhabri

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Hessari, M. (2020). How to Develop and Use of Proto-writing in Ancient Iran. In: Niknami, KA., Hozhabri, A. (eds) Archaeology of Iran in the Historical Period. University of Tehran Science and Humanities Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41776-5_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41776-5_1

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