in mesopotamia

They're so retarded we basically still use a lot of them

Give them a bit of credit we can only infer so much

writing stuff down was such a big deal

In Pathfinder Golarion setting, the goblins consider writing taboo b/c they think it *steals your thoughts.*
They're not necessarily *wrong* tho, *technically.*

How many phone numbers can you remember off the top of your head? How many pieces of famous literature?
<:hyperthink:462282519883284480>

for commercial transactions

theyd write stuff down

then seal it inside clay

Like we think of history so sterile

Yes, I know.

so no one could know what was written on it

Yes they weren't as educated but they could still use and infer they're human

Writing is super important for trade yes

ostensibly to prevent tampering but it obviously doesnt

IIRC, the oldest example of human writing is a *beer tab.* <:slurpgon:583424900732157956>

Some ancient places have graffiti

First commercial secrets protection ever.

I'd look into it

Shows at the very least even soldiers could write to some extent

or that the scribes were malcontent

Their names, and that's it.

🤷

if you consider the greeks

they were pretty special

because of their class systems

freemen were all basically minor nobles compared to other societies

And if you want the first evidence of script, then the romans and co don't come close to the Olmecs

so they had the time and resources to learn things like writin

Don't get me wrong, it was a oral skill you had to be taught or passed down by a father

Oral skill

Holy father?

Don't.

also

this is only for europe

It was a privilege but it still did escape the elites of the time

in places like japan

people *really* didnt know how to read and write

Everything was based on caste though no matter where you look

some places have bigger upper castes than others tho

~~Then they stole Chinese writing system.~~

Yep