Primitive communication systems

Ever since the beginning of time as we know it, our civilization has developed and relied on various forms of communication in order to confer amongst those of his own species. Whether it be to convey messages of friendship, anger, sadness or even war, primitive man was able to establish the basis of what has lead to the numerously diverse languages that we use all over the world today. Many of these primitive communication systems were relatively simple in nature, especially when compared to the advancements made since then that are being used in human communication today. The first recorded from of communication is documented by the Phoenicians, who concocted a written alphabet, while some of the earliest forms of communication involved the use of heliographs and written text on tablets of clay stone.

At around 2900 B.C., the ancient Sumerians invented a form of communication known as Cuneiform writing, which was written on tablets of clay. These tablets documented the lives of various rulers and significant events to their culture over time. The history of the heliograph can be traced back to Ancient Greece. Greek soldiers would use the light reflected from their shields to convey their positions during, or prior to, battle. The heliograph later became an actual military apparatus in Europe, a tripod weighing a mere seven pounds that was used in the same fashion the Greek soldiers had emulated. Patented in 1810, It was considered a revolutionary machine for its time.

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Other primitive communication systems included the use of smoke signals, dogs and carrier pigeons. Smoke signalling is another form of visual communication for sending messages over great distances. The first people to use this method were the Chinese, whose soldiers along the Great Wall would forewarn each other of enemy danger by lighting pyres of fire. Smoke signalling has since been used and modified by other cultures for their own purposes, including the Native Americans. Carrier pigeons were trained to carry scroll parchments to their homes so that crucial messages could be delivered. Dogs were trained by early man to alert him of any impending dangers (such as wolves or big cats) by growling and barking. As you can tell, mankind has used many different forms of communication throughout history. No matter how primitive they may seem by today's standards, each communication form has lead to the diverse cultural values in language we have today.

Copyright Bryan Carter 2008