Communication by way of symbols and
signs appears to have its origins in stone to which is a stark contrast
to today's cyber advancements. From the onset stone was used to
communicate; clay tablets 3300BC and cuneiform inscriptions around 3100BC
(Crowley & Heyer 2011), but their inefficiency was they could not
communicate across space. The message could only be communicated within reading
range; requiring recipients to travel to obtain knowledge. Not until papyrus
and ink was utilised for scribing upon 3100 – 3300BC, was information
transportable. This was marked by the substantial use of government who used
this medium to calculate, record and propagate a basis for revenue
creation (Innes 2011).
The horse and rider was the first
transporter of information which signalled the exchange of knowledge. In 440BC
the Persian courier was a system developed consisting of riders stationed along
the road - equal in numbers as a man and a horse for each day. In the 11th
century domesticated pigeons became a source of transport of communication -
made possible by the Egyptians.
By the second century paper was invented
by the Chinese. Around the 800s the Chinese invented printing. Not until the 15th
century is movable type invented in Europe, primarily in Germany. In 1867 the typewriter
was invented in America, and then also in America around the 1940s the development
of electronic computers.
References
Crowley,
D & Heyer, P 2011, Communication in
history: technology, culture, society, 6th edn, Pearson, Sydney.
Innes,
H 2011, “Media in ancient empires”, in D Crowley and P Heyer (eds), Communication in history: technology,
culture, society, 6th edn, Pearson, Sydney.
