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How many greek letters can you recognize here?

 
 
Reply Sun 23 Mar, 2008 02:52 pm
http://www.greek-thesaurus.gr/images/pub/china-script-1.jpg

These inscriptions are from China - western Zhou dynasty and are dated from 1028 to 771 BC.
As a Greek i can recognize almost all the greek alphabet there.
This is very strange because these symbols appear in the greek region at about 800 BC. with the disputed argument - in my opinion - of the phoenician origin of the greek alphabet.
Something does not going well with the ancient scripts considering too many mistakes by archaeologists in translating the linear B script till 1950.
I think we miss something here. I have the suspicion that there is a greek influence here but there are not enough evidences about that.
I want your opinion.

Pottery writings from Qing Jiang County (1530-1395 BC)
http://www.greek-thesaurus.gr/images/pub/china-scripts-5.gif

Pottery writings from Gao City and Zheng Zhou Er Li Gang (1620-1595 BC)
http://www.greek-thesaurus.gr/images/pub/china-scripts-6.gif
http://www.greek-thesaurus.gr/images/pub/china-scripts-8.gif
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Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 3,628 • Replies: 12
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cello
 
  1  
Reply Sun 23 Mar, 2008 09:35 pm
This is very interesting, Tkoletsis. I recognize only a few Greek letters like fi, lamda, m and x but the rest does not look like Greek to me.

Do you have pictures of the Greek letters found in the Greek area (which region is that) you mentioned so we can compare?

Myself I have wondered whether the Greeks and Chinese have made contact in the past, in another thread.
0 Replies
 
Setanta
 
  1  
Reply Mon 24 Mar, 2008 12:19 pm
I suspect that if you want to "see" Greek characters in the Chinese inscriptions, nothing anyone here will say is likely to change your mind. However, it is first worth noting that there is no controversy among reputable scholars about the derivation of Greek letters from the Phoenician alphabet--that's all in your head.

But the dating gives you a problem. If you're insistent that there is a relationship between the Chinese characters and the Greek alphabet, then you'd have to accept a claim that the Greeks got their alphabet by adopting and adapting the Chinese characters, because they are far older than the oldest Greek inscriptions.

I think you're seeing what you want to see, and not any reasonable relationship.
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cello
 
  1  
Reply Mon 24 Mar, 2008 02:56 pm
If you get a chance to visit Asia (Far East), Tkoletsis, you will see that there is no Greek influence there at all, contrary to other continents. The Chinese culture is present in many Asian countries on the other hand.
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tkoletsis
 
  1  
Reply Mon 24 Mar, 2008 05:28 pm
Is there any reasonable relationship there?

http://www.greek-thesaurus.gr/images/pub/Yangshao-vase.jpg

Flat bottomed storage jar
Probably Gansu, Yangshao culture
Neolithic to early Bronze (circa , 3000-1500 BCE)
Buff-colored earthenware ornamented with appliques and black painted decorations

http://www.greek-thesaurus.gr/images/pub/neolithic-vase.jpg

Cycladic spherical jug with spiral decoration from the same period
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cello
 
  1  
Reply Tue 25 Mar, 2008 05:23 pm
Looks a very little bit similar, but one vase does not really mean a Greek influence, it may just be a coincidence. It is art. Although I must say I have never seen black paintings on Chinese vases. It could have been helpful if we could also see the handle of the vase and more of the shape of the vase.
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cello
 
  1  
Reply Tue 25 Mar, 2008 06:13 pm
Did you take these infos from an article or something? Could you please post it for us to read? We need to make an informed comprehensive comparison instead of just little bits at a time. If you don't mind.
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tkoletsis
 
  1  
Reply Fri 28 Mar, 2008 06:58 pm
This info is from my personal research which has to do with the world domination of the greek culture at the ages from 3500 Bc to 1500 Bc(Cycladic and minoan civilizations are for me Greek civilization).
This time i'm finishing collecting some of material which is going to be published to my personal website and of course at this forum.

Below is a table from National archaeological museum of Athens with the greek alphabet as it is today in the first column, as depicted in the Dipylon Oinochoe (800 BC) in the second column, and from Hymettos sherds in the third column.

http://www.greek-thesaurus.gr/images/pub/alphabet.jpg
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cello
 
  1  
Reply Fri 28 Mar, 2008 07:35 pm
That's interesting, Tkoletsis. Please let me know your website when you post your research in it.

Although if you don't mind me saying it, I would not use the word "domination". Maybe "influence" would sound more realistic.
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Setanta
 
  1  
Reply Sun 30 Mar, 2008 12:46 pm
cello wrote:
That's interesting, Tkoletsis. Please let me know your website when you post your research in it.

Although if you don't mind me saying it, I would not use the word "domination". Maybe "influence" would sound more realistic.


Maybe dropping the word "world would be more realistic. What influence can anyone reasonably allege the Greeks had on Keltic culture, on Germanic culture, on the culture of sub-Saharan Africa, on the Indus valley before the arrival of Alexander, on India east of the Indus valley, on southeast Asia, on Australia, on Macro- and Micronesia, on the Americas? (I'm avoiding the absurdity of this attempt to claim a Greek influence on China.)

Patriotism and a love of one's people and the culture is not necessarily a bad thing. To attempt to claim that one's own culture is the fountainhead of all culture over a range as vast as 3500 to 1500 BCE is just silly.
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cello
 
  1  
Reply Sun 30 Mar, 2008 02:50 pm
I was thinking about the word "world" not being realistic too but preferred to give Tkoletsis a chance to show his research to us before commenting. I did not like the word "domination" though.
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tkoletsis
 
  1  
Reply Mon 31 Mar, 2008 05:04 pm
Long distance sea travels only with those ships with many rows of oars is permitted even in 3000 BC. And with long distance i mean from China to central and south America.

http://www.greek-thesaurus.gr/images/p2/fying_pan_vessel.JPG

Cycladic frying pan vessel of 3000 BC.
0 Replies
 
Majik Imaje
 
  1  
Reply Sun 10 Aug, 2008 03:23 pm
Well there are 22 letters in the Greek alphabet

I did not even see the 3rd letter .. Delta a triangle

Many other letters that I am familiar with are not visible
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