Lost Languages: The Enigma of the World's Undeciphered Scripts

Robinson, Andrew

ISBN 10: 0071357432 / ISBN 13: 9780071357432

Published by McGraw-Hill, 2002

About this Item

b/w illusts.

Seller Inventory # 000848

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Lost Languages: The Enigma of the World's Undeciphered Scripts
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill
• Publication Date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0071357432
• ISBN 13: 9780071357432
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • Linguistics

About this title

Synopsis

"Andrew Robinson has now followed up his beautifully illustrated The Story of Writing with a highly appropriate sequel­­Lost Languages, on undeciphered scripts. Many, it seems likely, will never be deciphered ..."­­Sir Arthur C. Clarke, C.B.E.

A landmark study of the world's most important undeciphered writing systems and the current race to crack them

Maybe it's the tantalizing possibility of giving new voice to long-hushed peoples and civilizations. Perhaps it's the puzzle solver's delight in the mental challenges posed by breaking their codes. Whatever the reasons, the public has long been fascinated with undeciphered ancient scripts and the ongoing efforts to crack them. In Lost Languages, Andrew Robinson reports from the front lines of the global efforts now under way to crack the Meroitic hieroglyphs of ancient Nubia, the Etruscan alphabet, the Indus Valley Sealstones, the Zapotec script­­the earliest in the Americas­­and five other major "lost languages." An enthralling story of genius, passion, and competition, Lost Languages provides a revealing look at how decipherment is done. In what is truly an archaeological mystery book, the author examines each script in detail and reviews what is known about the people who created it, while weaving in the intriguing cast of characters currently competing for the glory of cracking these ancient codes.

About the Author

Andrew Robinson is the literary editor of the London Times Higher Education Supplement. His many books include The Story of Writing: Alphabets, Hieroglyphs and Pictograms, the award-winning Earthshock, and The Shape of the World: The Mapping and Discovery of the Earth, the book of a six-part television series shown all over the world.