Ep. 49 Signatures

https://api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/51881162/download.mp3 The traditional function of a signature is to permanently affix to a document a person's uniquely personal, undeniable self-identification as physical evidence of that person's personal witness and certification of the content of all, or a specified part, of the document. The reason a signature exists is important. It’s another thing that ties civilization together and provides order to society but its origin is not linear.  The First Signatures The Sumerians invented the earliest signature which wasn’t a signature at all. It was a seal. Typically, these seals were attached to a small round cylinder about one inch in length and would be pressed into wet clay. The Sumerians are one of the earliest known civilizations. They existed about 5,000 years ago. Sumer is in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia which is present day Iraq. Recently, what is considered the oldest signature in history was sold at auction and it was said to have come from this place and time. This “signature” has been interpreted by experts as spelling “Kushim.” Since very few were literate in ancient Sumeria, this individual was likely a government scribe and the object itself a record kept for administration purposes.  It has been generally accepted that Kushim spells a personal name, but some have speculated that it is an official title. The signature Kushim is believed to be the earliest example of an autograph.  The Daily Mail reports that the name “Kushim is known from 17 other tablets and in some of those addressed as ‘Sanga’ or temple administrator.” The clay tablet reads “29,086 measures barley 37 months Kushim.” It appears to be a receipt for barley that was the main ingredient in Sumerian beer. This clay tablet is another illustrative example of how writing emerged from practical needs. There are several markings on the object that seem to show how beer was produced at a temple in Mesopotamia in 3100 BC. Some images appear to show grains and jars and the process of brewing.  The tablet apparently depicts or details the entire process, from the building of the brewery to the transportation of the beverage in jars. Signatures on written transactions have been customary in Jewish communities since about the second century and among Muslims since the Hegira (the migration of Muhammad and his followers to Medina) in 622 One popular way to create these impressions was to press a signet ring into beeswax.  Signet rings themselves were also used as validation: A king might, for example, dispatch a herald bearing an oral message to a foreign power, and give him the royal signet ring so that the message’s recipient would be confident of its origin. Stamps/Japanese Hankos Hanko/inkan (used interchangeably) is a carved stamp that can be used in any situation where an individual, or an individual on behalf of a company, might otherwise use a signature or initials.  Signing contracts, doing your banking (at a bank) or receiving a parcel are just three such cases’ Hanko’s came over to Japan from China via the Silk Road about 2000 years ago. They originated in Mesopotamia but were made a little differently then. The first evidence of writing in Japan was of a hanko that dates back to 57 CE. It was made of solid gold and was given to the ruler of Nakoku (a state which was located in and around modern-day Fukuoka City), by Emperor Guangwu of Han. The seal is known as ‘King of Na gold seal’. The idea of Stamps as signatures dates back to 5500 BCE in the Middle East where it was used as personal symbols engraved on stones, clay, wood and shells.  It all began when cattle farmers wanted to brand their livestock. People soon followed suit using the same method to identify their personal property. Hanko eventually found its way to Europe then to Asia. There are 3 types of hankos: