Dawn of Art: The Chauvet Cave<\/a><\/p>\n In\u00a0<\/span>December of\u00a0<\/span>199<\/span>4<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>three speleologists (scientists who study caves)<\/span> discovered this cave and the paintings contained within. Generally, the animals drawn during this time period (Aurignacian Era, occurring between 32,000 to <\/span>30,000 years ago) were animals that were hunted. This series of cave paintings are so notable because the range of animals includes more than just the typically hunted ones, for example: rhinoceros, lions and bears. Though cave art is not technically classified as a writing system, it could be considered a form of communication. Just looking at the photographs of these cave paintings is such a unique emotional experience, thinking back to the humans who drew them to tell us and each\u00a0<\/span>other<\/span>\u00a0what they saw.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The First Signs: Unlocking the mysteries of the world’s oldest symbols<\/a><\/p>\n In her last year of her undergraduate,\u00a0<\/span>archaeologist\u00a0<\/span>Genevieve\u00a0<\/span>von Petzinger was\u00a0<\/span>taking a class on\u00a0<\/span>Paleolithic\u00a0<\/span>(Stone Age)\u00a0<\/span>art. She became intrigued by reoccurring\u00a0<\/span>geometric\u00a0<\/span>symbol<\/span>s found at many of these<\/span>\u00a0cave<\/span>\u00a0sites.<\/span>\u00a0Her first project focused on symbols found in France during the Upper Paleolithic Era<\/span>\u00a0(<\/span>occurring 10,000 to 40,000 years ago) but left her with more questions<\/span>\u00a0than answers<\/span>. In this book, von Petzinger explores wh<\/span>at these\u00a0<\/span>geometric signs\u00a0<\/span>say about the movement of people and ideas during this\u00a0<\/span>time period<\/span>, and whether they can be considered a form of graphic communication.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Uruk: First city of the world<\/a><\/p>\n This book offers<\/span>\u00a0the most up-to-date assessment of archaeological evidence gathered at the site of\u00a0<\/span>Uruk<\/span>\u00a0(present day\u00a0<\/span>Iraq). From th<\/span>e artifacts found at this site, we know that<\/span>\u00a0earliest known form of writing<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>proto-cuneiform<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>was developed here over 5000 years ago<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>It was also from here that the\u00a0<\/span>tablets\u00a0<\/span>containing<\/span>\u00a0the Epic of Gilgamesh\u00a0<\/span>(one of the oldest masterpieces in world literature)\u00a0<\/span>were\u00a0<\/span>discovered<\/span>. In\u00a0<\/span>Uruk<\/span><\/em>: First city of the world<\/em>, you will get a glimpse into life,\u00a0<\/span>culture<\/span>\u00a0and art in the first great cit<\/span>y of the ancient world.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n They Wrote on Clay<\/a><\/p>\n This book, written by Edward Chiera, discusses what we refer to now as the Nuzi Texts. These are a series of\u00a0<\/span>cuneiform tablets written in the Akkadian language<\/span>\u00a0and discovered between 1896 and 1925<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Because so many clay tablets\u00a0<\/span>were<\/span>\u00a0preserved, we\u00a0<\/span>now\u00a0<\/span>have a lot of documentation covering\u00a0<\/span>many phases\u00a0<\/span>of<\/span>\u00a0knowledge during\u00a0<\/span>the Late Bronze Age<\/span>. Through these tablets, we can follow changes in religious beliefs, economic conditions, and customs in daily life.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Hieroglyphs: A very short introduction<\/a><\/p>\n In Hieroglyphs:\u00a0<\/em><\/span>A very short<\/span><\/em>\u00a0introduction<\/em>, author Penelope Wilson takes the reader through the cultural significance of hieroglyphics in Ancient Egyptian society.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0Wilson highlights the differences between formal hieroglyphic script and hieratic script. The formal hieroglyphic script tends to remain an archaic form of the language, existing in sacred spaces such as temples or tombs, whereas the hieratic script is a shorthand developed to be used in daily life and often shows much more variation as the language itself reached new and different stages.<\/span><\/p>\n The Code of Kings<\/a><\/p>\n Authors Linda Schele and Peter Mathews were pivotal in discovering the Maya use of hieroglyphics to cover their public spaces with the history and belie<\/span>f systems of their people.<\/span>\u00a0The Code of Kings<\/em> serves as a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>guided tour through the lost civilization of the Maya,\u00a0focusing on\u00a0seven buildings renowned for their beauty and sacred power. The seven sites\u00a0<\/span>contain<\/span>\u00a0all the elements the ancient Maya considered necessary to charge a building with religious and political meaning. They\u00a0<\/span>represent<\/span>\u00a0the range of\u00a0<\/span>the Maya<\/span>\u00a0experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Runes: A concise history<\/a><\/p>\n This is an accessible and illuminating introduction to the history of the runic script, a writing system in use in the medieval North from the Roman Iron Age until the Reformation and beyond. Runes were the only writing system known to Germanic tribes, including those who migrated to England, and they provide a first-hand account of huge social change in the medieval North, including the Viking expansion in Europe and the adoption of Christianity.<\/p>\n The Secret Languages of Symbols<\/a><\/p>\n The Secret Language of Symbols<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0traces the origins and evolution of a wide range of symbols and symbol systems. Moving from the gods and goddesses of antiquity to the symbols present in the myths and rituals of modern society,\u00a0<\/span>hundreds<\/span>\u00a0of symbols and symbol systems are\u00a0<\/span>identified<\/span>, illustrated, and interpreted.<\/span>\u00a0Many express our encounters with the natural and animal worlds. Others speak\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0our human condition.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Author David Fontana draws upon his broad knowledge of psychology, spirituality, anthropology, and history\u00a0<\/span>to deepen our understanding of the profound messages that can be conveyed by these symbols.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n![\"Book](\"https:\/\/www.clarkcollegelibraries.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/DawnofArt.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n