Lost Languages: The Enigma of the World's Undeciphered
Scripts
Andrew Robinson
The author is an award winner who is good at explaining
complicated languages such as Hieroglyphics and Linear B and,
Rory's favourite, Mayan. He showed pictures from the book, which
is very well and profusely illustrated. One depicts a vase with
Mayan engraving, another a tomb showing a person falling into the
other world. Near the palace at Minos the first ever printed
document was dug up. This is the unique Phaistos disc made from
fired clay. It is read from the outside edge working around and
inwards and dates from c.1800 BC. Etruscan, a Northern Italian
language is pre-Roman and has elements of Greek. Rongo Rongo,
from Easter Island has thousands of symbols and dates from the
Middle Ages and Polynesia. Inspiring mainly woodcarvings used in
ceremonies. It is also, interestingly, in a background to a
Gauguin picture.
Rory 7/3/04
The frames have
gone all funny - click to make it good.