Writing and Society in Ancient Cyprus

A pioneering treatment of the development and importance of writing in ancient Cypriot society, throughout the second and first millennia BC. Exploring questions of literacy and identity, the book will be useful to scholars and students (epigraphists, linguists, archaeologists, historians) and to anyone interested in Cyprus or in writing systems.

From its first adoption of writing at the beginning of the Late Bronze Age, ancient Cyprus was home to distinctive scripts and writing habits, often setting it apart from other areas of the Mediterranean and Near East. This well-illustrated volume is the first to explore the development and importance of Cypriot writing over a period of more than 1,500 years in the second and first millennia BC. Five themed chapters deal with issues ranging from the acquisition of literacy and the adaptation of new writing systems to the visibility of writing and its role in the marking of identities. The agency of Cypriots in shaping the island''s literate landscape is given prominence, and an extended consideration of the social context of writing leads to new insights on Cypriot scripts and their users. Cyprus provides a stimulating case to demonstrate the importance of contextualised approaches to the development of writing systems.