Throughout the course of human history, the use and influence of language have long stood at the forefront of how societies operate. The Ancient Near East represents no exception to this reality. Given the widespread emergence of state societies in the region, the development of language and complimentary writing systems served as integral to societal sustainability and progression. While many languages used throughout the era have been thoroughly uncovered and systematically deciphered, one particular linguistic set (ie. language and complimentary writing system) remains a relative mystery to linguists, historians, and archaeologists alike: Elamite.
Long considered a language isolate, the origins, linguistic nature, and genetic relations …show more content…
As an influential entity from about 2000 BCE to the arrival of the Archaemenid Persians in the 6th century BCE, Elam continually found itself involved in the wider economic, political, and strategic affairs of the region as a whole. (Potts 2014). As such, the region represented not only a state rich in material and social culture, but also in natural resources. This reality contributed substantially to the longevity of the Elamite civilization and to its value as a periphery state under the Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian …show more content…
As the predecessor to Linear Elamite and Elamite Cuneiform, the first evidence for the use of Proto-Elamite, a largely pictographic script, dates to approximately ca. 3000 BCE and likely even earlier with new evidence pointing to the mid 3rd millenia BCE (Hinz 1975; Encyclopedia Britannica 2016). Through his research, historical linguist Francois Vallat holistically analyzes the nature of the Proto Elamite script and concludes that the system most likely originated on the Iranian plateau, used largely for economic purposes between ca. 3100 BCE and 2700 BCE (Vallat 1986). Furthermore, although beginning as a largely ideographic system (ie. using symbols to describe something without the use of words or sound), Proto Elamite evolved into a more syllabic script by the end of its historical use, and some scholars, notably Jacob Dahl of Oxford 's Oriental Institute, believe it to be the first writing system in the world to employ a syllabary (Vallat 1968; Ronan 2013). While Proto Elamite remains predominantly undeciphered, scholars have made considerable efforts to identify and decode the ancient script; efforts that have yielded some significant results. As early as 1905, V. Scheil enumerated 989 Proto Elamite signs, expanding that number to 1582 signs in 1923, a number again expanded by his
Long considered a language isolate, the origins, linguistic nature, and genetic relations …show more content…
As an influential entity from about 2000 BCE to the arrival of the Archaemenid Persians in the 6th century BCE, Elam continually found itself involved in the wider economic, political, and strategic affairs of the region as a whole. (Potts 2014). As such, the region represented not only a state rich in material and social culture, but also in natural resources. This reality contributed substantially to the longevity of the Elamite civilization and to its value as a periphery state under the Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian …show more content…
As the predecessor to Linear Elamite and Elamite Cuneiform, the first evidence for the use of Proto-Elamite, a largely pictographic script, dates to approximately ca. 3000 BCE and likely even earlier with new evidence pointing to the mid 3rd millenia BCE (Hinz 1975; Encyclopedia Britannica 2016). Through his research, historical linguist Francois Vallat holistically analyzes the nature of the Proto Elamite script and concludes that the system most likely originated on the Iranian plateau, used largely for economic purposes between ca. 3100 BCE and 2700 BCE (Vallat 1986). Furthermore, although beginning as a largely ideographic system (ie. using symbols to describe something without the use of words or sound), Proto Elamite evolved into a more syllabic script by the end of its historical use, and some scholars, notably Jacob Dahl of Oxford 's Oriental Institute, believe it to be the first writing system in the world to employ a syllabary (Vallat 1968; Ronan 2013). While Proto Elamite remains predominantly undeciphered, scholars have made considerable efforts to identify and decode the ancient script; efforts that have yielded some significant results. As early as 1905, V. Scheil enumerated 989 Proto Elamite signs, expanding that number to 1582 signs in 1923, a number again expanded by his