The Hidden Language of Graphic Signs: Cryptic Writing and Meaningful Marks - Hardcover

 
9781108840613: The Hidden Language of Graphic Signs: Cryptic Writing and Meaningful Marks
Hardcover
ISBN 10: 1108840612 ISBN 13: 9781108840613
Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2021

Synopsis

A common belief is that systems of writing are committed to transparency and precise records of sound. The target is the language behind such marks. Readers, not viewers, matter most, and the most effective graphs largely record sound, not meaning. But what if embellishments mattered deeply - if hidden writing, slow to produce, slow to read, played as enduring a role as more accessible graphs? What if meaningful marks did service alongside records of spoken language? This book, a compilation of essays by global authorities on these subjects, zeroes in on hidden writing and alternative systems of graphic notation. Essays by leading scholars explore forms of writing that, by their formal intricacy, deflect attention from language. The volume also examines graphs that target meaning directly, without passing through the filter of words and the medium of sound. The many examples here testify to human ingenuity and future possibilities for exploring enriched graphic communication.

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About the Authors

John Bodel is W. Duncan MacMillan II Professor of Classics at Brown University and Director of the U.S. Epigraphy Project. A specialist in the epigraphic cultures of the ancient Mediterranean, he writes about Roman history and literature and is the recipient of fellowship awards from ACLS, NEH, and the Andrew Mellon Foundation.

Stephen Houston serves as the Dupee Family Professor of Social Science at Brown University. A specialist in writing systems and Classic Maya civilization, Houston is the recipient of a MacArthur 'genius' award and the Grand Cross of the Order of the Quetzal, Guatemala's highest honor.

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Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Publication date
2021
Language
English
ISBN 10 
1108840612
ISBN 13 
9781108840613
Binding
Hardcover
Number of pages
330
Editor
Bodel John, Houston Stephen