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Fwd ;The illiterate Harappans/Mnemonics(was : Script and non scriptsof IVC)

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Indo-Eurasian_research , " Lars Martin Fosse "

<lmfosse wrote:

 

Sudha Shenoy wrote:

 

>4. Time-scale. Our illiterate Rabari milkman & Gloucestershire clothier

had to remember only a single accounting/billing period. For longer time

periods, some sort of notation becomes essential. Mesopotamian materials

contain some of the earliest mercantile calculations of changes in

capital value over longish periods of time.

 

There is another aspect of this that I think is important: trust, or

rather

lack of it. Technically, I believe an individual can remember quite a

lot of

numerical data (including 50 year old skating records). But in a

complex and

large-scale operation, it might not seem advisable to trust individuals.

They could, after all, lie or manipulate data for selfish reasons.

This may

have been a factor contributing to the creration of non-person-based

accounting methods. That the problem was a real one, is clear when you

read

the Arthashastra of Kautilya. Officials stealing from public property

was a

problem in India then as it is now. As they say: noone knows when the fish

is drinking.

 

Lars Martin

 

 

 

 

Dr.art. Lars Martin Fosse

Haugerudvn. 76, Leil. 114,

0674 Oslo - Norway

Phone: +47 22 32 12 19 Fax: +47 850 21 250

Mobile phone: +47 90 91 91 45

E-mail: lmfosse

http://www.linguistfinder.com/translators.asp?id=2164

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Indo-Eurasian_research , " jkirk " <jkirk wrote:

 

 

 

4. Time-scale. Our illiterate Rabari milkman & Gloucestershire clothier

had to remember only a single accounting/billing period. For longer time

periods, some sort of notation becomes essential. Mesopotamian materials

contain some of the earliest mercantile calculations of changes in

capital value over longish periods of time.

 

 

Sudha R. Shenoy

Hon'y Associate in Economic History

School of Policy

University of Newcastle

Callaghan NSW 2308

Australia

=======================

Yes, for example the dabbawalas of Mumbai (the tiffin carriers)

originally kept all their accounts by memory, then they used different

color strings, then finally as their operation grew exponentially with

economic development and business in the city they devised an

accounting system based on number and letter codes:

http://in.rediff.com/news/2003/oct/29vijay.htm

 

" The system is similar to the postal system, " Medge explained. " The

tiffins are collected, sorted out, and sent to their destinations

based on a numerical and alphabetical code. Every station has a

numerical code and each place has an alphabetical code. The tiffin

carries the code of the source and the destination. The codes help us

to identify each tiffin owner. The codes have been developed over the

years, beginning with coloured threads and evolving to more systematic

and logical codes, he said. " Our system being foolproof, we have no

major competitors in the market, " Medge said. "

 

Joanna Kirkpatrick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--

 

 

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