Lost Languages by Andrew Robinson
Beginning with the stories of three great decipherments – Egyptian hieroglyphs, Minoan Linear B and Mayan glyphs – Lost Languages moves on to dissect the most well-known and enigmatic undeciphered scripts from around the world. These include the Etruscan alphabet of Italy, the Indus Valley seal script, Rongorongo from remote Easter Island, the Zapotec script of Mexico (probably the first writing system in the Americas), and the unique Phaistos disc of Crete. Lost Languages reports from the front lines of scholarship where obsessions, genius, occasional delusion and sometimes bitter rivalry are de rigueur among those currently competing for the rare honour of cracking these ancient codes – and giving voice to forgotten worlds.
'Robinson's enthusiasm for the subject is so infectious that you might find youreself trying to crack Etruscan in your spare time' - Archaeology
'If you hate unsolved mysteries this parade of incomprehensible texts will drive you nuts with frustrationBut if you're a wannabe linguist, and perhaps the world's next Michael Ventris, you'll definitely want to read this book' - Focus
'If you hate unsolved mysteries this parade of incomprehensible texts will drive you nuts with frustrationBut if you're a wannabe linguist, and perhaps the world's next Michael Ventris, you'll definitely want to read this book' - Focus
Andrew Robinson is the author of twenty-five books in the arts and sciences, nine of them on aspects of Indian history and culture. They include two definitive biographies: Satyajit Ray: The Inner Eye, described by V. S. Naipaul as ‘an extraordinarily good, detailed and selfless book’, and the coauthored Rabindranath Tagore: The Myriad-Minded Man. He holds degrees from Oxford University and the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, has been a Visiting Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge, and is currently a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780500288160 |
| ISBN 10 | 050028816X |
| Title | Lost Languages |
| Author | Andrew Robinson |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Thames & Hudson Ltd |
| Year published | 2009-02-16 |
| Number of pages | 352 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |