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Asia has yielded the earliest signs of writing, through which man managed to materialise his discourse and so – by definition – emerge from Prehistory. Writing is also a decisive factor in identity and social cohesion. One of the very first writing systems is cuneiform, which appeared in Mesopotamia (Iraq) about 3500 BC.
Handwritten texts provide a precious and moving testimony, because they directly reflect the materialisation of their authors’ thoughts. Writing materials varied: plant fibres, animal skins (parchment), engraved metal, dried or fired clay, etc. The oldest document on paper comes from China and dates from the 1st century AD.
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