From single sign to pseudo-script : : an ancient Egyptian system of workmen's identity marks / / by Ben Haring.

• Superior document: Culture and history of the ancient Near East ; v. 93
• Author: Haring, B. J. J.
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden ;, Boston : : Brill,, 2018.
• Year of Publication: 2018
• Language: English
• Series: Culture and History of the Ancient Near East 93.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (291 pages) :; illustrations, tables.

Writing is not the only notation system used in literate societies. Some visual communication systems are very similar to writing, but work differently. Identity marks are typical examples of such systems, and this book presents a particularly well-documented marking system used in Pharaonic Egypt as an exemplary case. From Single Sign to Pseudo-Script is the first book to fully discuss the nature and development of an ancient marking system, its historical background, and the fascinating story of its decipherment. Chapters on similar systems in other cultures and on semiotic theory help to distinguish between unique and universal features. Written by Egyptologist Ben Haring, the book addresses scholars interested in marking systems, writing, literacy, and the semiotics of visual communication.

Table of Contents

Front Matter -- Prologue -- Making Sense of Funny Signs -- Identity Marks, Egyptian and Other -- Writing and Other Sign Systems -- The Setting: The Workmen of the Royal Tomb and Their Textual Legacy -- The Use of the Workmen’s Marks: Historical Overview -- How the Men Came by Their Marks, and Vice Versa -- Epilogue: The Alphabet -- Bibliographical Essay -- References -- Timetable: Kings and Dynasties of the Egyptian New Kingdom -- Indexes.