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Concept
Undeciphered writing systems
Summary
Many undeciphered writing systems exist today; most date back several thousand years, although some more modern examples do exist. The term "writing systems" is used here loosely to refer to groups of glyphs which appear to have representational symbolic meaning, but which may include "systems" that are largely artistic in nature and are thus not examples of actual writing.
The difficulty in deciphering these systems can arise from a lack of known language descendants or from the languages being entirely isolated, from insufficient examples of text having been found and even (such as in the case of Vinča) from the question of whether the symbols actually constitute a writing system at all. Some researchers have claimed to be able to decipher certain writing systems, such as those of Epi-Olmec, Phaistos and Indus texts; but to date, these claims have not been widely accepted within the scientific community, or confirmed by independent researchers, for the writing systems listed here (unless otherwise specified).
Certain forms of proto-writing remain undeciphered and, because of a lack of evidence and linguistic descendants, it is quite likely that they will never be deciphered.
Yellow River civilization
Jiahu symbols – Peiligang culture, from China, c. 6600 - 6200 BC.
Damaidi symbols - Damaidi, from China, earliest estimated dates range from Paleolithic to c. 3000 years ago
Dadiwan symbols - Dadiwan, from China, c. 5800 - 5400 BC.
Banpo symbols – Yangshao culture, from China, 5th millennium BC.
Jiangzhai symbols - Yangshao culture, from China, 4th millennium BC.
Dawenkou symbols - Dawenkou culture, c. 2800 - 2500 BC.
Longshan symbols - Longshan culture, from China, c. 2500 - 1900 BC.
Yangtze civilization
Wucheng symbols - Wucheng culture, from China, c. 1600 BC
Other areas
Sawveh - Guangxi, from China; possible proto-writing or writing
File:Jiahu writing.svg|Jiahu symbols
File:Banpo pottery symbols.svg|Banpo symbols
File:Eleven characters found at Dinggong in Shandong.svg|Longshan symbols
File:出土刻画文示例.
Official source
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