mod5videoactivity (1) Essays - Writing Systems, Human Behavior

Alexandria Smith ANT3620 February 16th, 2019 Module 5 Video Activity The speaker, Mr. Mafundikwa incorrectly labels and dates cuneiform. When Mr. Mafundikwa is emphasizing humanities greatest creation as the alphabet and names cuneiform as a source, this label of "alphabet" being given to cuneiform is incorrect. Cuneiform is not an alphabet since it does not have letters that represent sounds, rather it is a writing system that began as ideographic, where pictures represented an idea, and later on developed into a logographic writing form where a symbol denotes a word, and in cuneiform that meant wedge-like symbols pressed into clay in order to form symbols; so there are no letters in cuneiform, as shown in the Module 5 lecture entitled "Writing." The second mistake he makes about cuneiform is in the same statement when he is attempting to place Egyptian hieroglyphics as an older writing system, almost 200-300 years older than cuneiform. Cuneiform was not created in 1600 BC, as he claimed, but rather almost two millennia before the date he gav e in 3300 BC as stated in Module 5 lecture entitled "Writing." Mr. Mafundikwa's main point about Africa and writing systems is to emphasize their presence in Africa's history and their importance moving on into the future. He wants to stress that looking upon Africa's history you can find all of the common themes that have seemed to be stressed about other "great civilizations" with African developments found in the same time frame, such as written language, architecture, religious and cultural traditions. He mentions the "secret societies" of the Yoruba, Kango, and Palo religions that created intricate writing systems, just like he mentioned the Jokwe people who created a pictograph telling the creation of the world; a story we see told by many civilizations. He is encouraging Africans to use African past as their source for past information and their inspiration for future creation. His mistakes about cuneiform subtracts from his credibility, but he is still making a valid point that he wants Africans to really see African history as a great and full history, worthy to be regarded as impactful in human development over time and to be reflected on and built upon by future generations, instead of seeking elsewhere for inspiration.