Nsibidi

[mmoa]

One of the things that has always frustrated me is the charge that throughout the long (longer, in fact, than anywhere else might I add) history of homo sapiens in Africa, there has never been a written script indigenous to the population (Ancient Coptic/hieroglyphs don't count). Now as it happens there have been, but the one I am most

Comments

[apiphile]

Pondering if it would be theoretically possible to determine who traded with whom based on who had a history of public-version Nsibidi use?

[mmoa]

Now that's something I hadn't thought of. It should be possible - the only thing that will hinder an investigation would be the quality of the data at hand. There's still quibbles over the origins of the script (probably me being cynical, but the myth that it was passed down by baboons is as likely as any) and it's been so easily displaced from public use that who would know? Still, a script that's so old should turn up in lots of places.

Africa really does need a revolution. An archeological revolution!

[apiphile]

I imagine that dating any samples that came to light would be especially important in terms of determining how it had spread, too. If X community are shown to be using it BEFORE Y Community, etc.

Africa really does need a revolution. An archeological revolution!

MORE DIGS.