Before Writing (2 Vol Set in Original Dust jackets)

Austin; (1992): University of Texas Press. First Edition. Quarto. Both volumes are large hardcovers quartos in fine condition in fine dust jackets. Volume 1 gives an introduction to the role of tokens in the rise of agriculture until the invention of writing about 3100 B.C. Volume 2 was issued in a much smaller print run and is rarely seen. The authr presents a system of counters (tokens) which represented a major breakthrough in communication. These tokens were small objects modeled in clay in various geometric forms used for counting and accounting for goods. The system has implications for studies of early Near Eastern civilizations as well as advances in communication and mathematics. The scarce Volume II deals with several thousand tokens, cataloging them by country, archaeological site, including the chronology, stratigraphy, museum ownership, along with line drawings and photographs. A fine set.