What Do the Archaic Texts Tell Us?

Ancient texts show writing was invented to facilitate accounting and record keeping. Complex systems of count and metrology were in use throughout these texts, some of which chart the growth of herds from sheep and goat to swine and cattle. Many texts keep track of rations given out to laborers for different kinds of services performed. While a sizable number are lexical texts. Although in no sense meant to serve as a dictionary or thesaurus, such texts are important witnesses to the regime of scribel education practised by early scribes.