Lost languages : the enigma of the world's undeciphered scripts /

Investigates famous examples of unsolved scripts and codes, in an account that recalls the stories of three forefront decipherments including the Egyptian hieroglyphs, the Maya glyphs, and the Minoan Linear B clay tablets.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Robinson, Andrew, 1957- (Author)
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: New York : McGraw-Hill, [2002]
Series:A Peter N. Nevraumont book
Subjects:
Online Access:Table of contents
Table of contents
Contributor biographical information
Publisher description
Table of Contents:
  • Introduction: writing systems, coded civilizations and undeciphered scripts
  • part I. Three great decipherments
  • Voices of the Pharaohs: Egyptian hieroglyphs (Egypt)
  • Labyrinth of Minos: linear B (Greece)
  • Bishop de Landa's inquisition: Mayan glyphs (Central America)
  • part II. Undeciphered scripts
  • Voices of the Black Pharaohs: the Meroitic script (Sudan)
  • Greek but not Greek: the Etruscan alphabet (Italy)
  • Mediterranean mystery: linear A (the Aegean)
  • Secrets of the ancient ledgers: the proto-elamite script (Iran)
  • Birdmen of Rapanui: Rongorongo (Easter Island)
  • New world begins to write: the Zapotec and Isthmian scripts (Mexico)
  • At the sign of the unicorn: the Indus script (Pakistan/India)
  • Sir Arthur's 'Chaunt of victory': the Phaistos disc (Crete)
  • Conclusion
  • Urge to decipher.