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Clay Tokens and the Origin of Writing

- Clay tokens were small clay objects used for accounting purposes for around 4,000 years starting around 8,000 BCE. They evolved from plain shapes to ones with markings and meanings. - As societies transitioned to agriculture and cities formed between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers around 4000 BCE, tokens were used to record quantities of goods like grain, sheep, and gold being stored and distributed. - Around 3200 BCE, as tokens were impressed onto clay tablets, this led to the development of the first actual writing system in Mesopotamia to record accounting information. Writing was then only used for accounting until 2700 BCE.

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Clay Tokens and the Origin of Writing Presentation by Mindy McAdams Week 2, Thursday MMC 2265
What are they?
What are they? Small — most are 0.5 to 1.25 inches long Made of (fired) clay 16 main types, including cone, sphere, disk, cylinder, tetrahedron For 4,000 years, they were very plain Later tokens have markings and distinct meanings
Simple vs. “complex”
The cradle of civilization People quit the nomadic life dependent on hunting and gathering Crops planted and cultivated Property ownership Trading goods and services Called the “agricultural revolution” (also the “Neolithic revolution”)
The first cities were built in what is now Iraq Fertile agricultural land between two rivers Mixed religion and government
 
From token to sign
Impressions on “envelopes”
Impressions on tablets
Development and change Plain tokens appeared when agriculture began (in Mesopotamia) Complex tokens appeared about the same time as cities there (circa 4000 B.C.E.) The first writing appeared about 3200 B.C.E. Writing was used only for accounting until about 2700 B.C.E.
“ Before 2700 … writing is only accounting . To recall what comes in the temple or the palace, and what comes out. So-and-so much gold, so-and-so many sheep, so-and-so many bushels of grain. It’s only numbers and the thing counted . And then, at some point, the name of who it belongs to . That’s it.” — Interview with Denise Schmandt-Besserat http:// www.kenyonreview.org/interviews/schmandt.php
When they were in use Earliest clay tokens date from about 8000 B.C.E. Clay tokens were used for five millennia (5,000 years) 3500 - 3200 B.C.E. Tokens start to be enclosed in clay “envelopes” 3100 - 3000 B.C.E. Tokens decline, decrease, disappear
Clay Tokens and the Origin of Writing Presentation by Mindy McAdams University of Florida