{"product_id":"lost-languages","title":"Lost Languages: The Enigma of the World's Undeciphered Scripts","description":"\u003cp style=\";text-align:left;direction:ltr\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eUndeciphered scripts have long tantalized the public, whether it's the possibility of hearing the voices of ancient peoples or the puzzle solver's taste for the challenges posed by breaking codes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp style=\";text-align:left;direction:ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eHere, Andrew Robinson investigates the most famous examples, beginning with the stories of three great decipherments: Egyptian hieroglyphs, Maya glyphs, and the Minoan Linear B clay tablets. He then covers the important scripts that have yet to be cracked, such as the Etruscan alphabet and Rongorongo from Easter Island.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\";text-align:left;direction:ltr\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eWhether it's the possibility of hearing the voices of ancient peoples or the puzzle solver's taste for the challenges posed by breaking codes, undeciphered scripts have long tantalized the public. Here, Andrew Robinson investigates the most famous examples, beginning with the stories of three great decipherments: Egyptian hieroglyphs, Maya glyphs, and the Minoan Linear B clay tablets.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp style=\";text-align:left;direction:ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHe then tackles the important scripts that have yet to be cracked. Perhaps the greatest challenge is the Indus script, the onl writing of the four “first” civilizations that cannot be read and a potential key to better understanding the impressive Indus Valley civilization. Then there are the Etruscans, builders of sensational tombs and the cultural conduit through whom the Greek alphabet reached Rome and the rest of Europe. Yet the language spoken by the Etruscans remains wrapped in mystery. And on isolated Easter Island, the Rongorongo script, inscribed on wood with sharks' teeth, has long been an irresistible magnet for ambitious scholars.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp style=\";text-align:left;direction:ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe struggle to decipher these three scripts and six others--including the Phaistos disc of Crete and the Zapotec script of Mexico--is recounted with extraordinary depth and erudition in this wonderfully illustrated book.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eLost Languages\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e​​is an archaeological and linguistic detective story that will appeal to anyone interested in ancient peoples and the intricacies of language.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\";text-align:left;direction:ltr\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eAndrew Robinson's many books include\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eThe Story of Writing\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\";text-align:left;direction:ltr\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003e350+ color illustrations\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003c!----\u003e","brand":"Andrew Robinson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44986406994097,"sku":"9780500288160","price":9.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0671\/1833\/4129\/files\/Addaheading_56.png?v=1734427579","url":"https:\/\/cd15fe-a1.myshopify.com\/products\/lost-languages","provider":"Aafaq Bookstore UK","version":"1.0","type":"link"}