"From the perspective of archaeology, a brilliant scholar has proposed an ingenious, rigorous, and inspiring explanation of the origin of writing... What sets this book apart is that its reasoning is firmly based on an overwhelming body of archaeological evidence. — Scientific American
"These two books are the result of years of research, and are likely to be the only most important books published in recent years related to the precursors of the text." - Libraries and Culture
"Schmann-Bessela's findings and the research associated with them ... Plays a pivotal role in understanding the development of civilization ... The book is beautifully printed and meticulous, with thought-provoking ideas and far-reaching content. ——" TaiZhaoshi Newspaper Literary Supplement
"The study was interesting. Schmanter-Bessela's research is insightful, and her theories are stripped of their cocoons and deeply anticipated. - A History of Mathematics
In 1992, the University of Texas Press published two books: Before Words Volume I: From Counting to Pottery Chips and Before Words Volume II: A Catalogue of Near Eastern Pottery Chips.
In both volumes, Denise Schmanter-Bessela illustrates an epoch-making theory. She argues that the cuneiform script that emerged in the Near East in the late 4th millennium BC — the earliest known writing system in the world — developed from primitive counting methods.
The book Origins of Words draws on some of the material from these two books to explain the Schmanter-Bessela theory to a general audience and students. The book analyzes and interprets more than 8,000 pottery chips or counter specimens from 116 sites in Iran, Iraq, The Levant, and Turkey, and thus documents the immediate precursors of the cuneiform system.
