668 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



tions mentioned, were extended with greater or less success over almost 

 the entire country, and what surprised me was that in northern Belgium, 

 in the neighborhood of Ghent, aud between it and Antwerp, have been 

 lately found enough of the prehistoric objects to establish the human 

 occupation of that country in prehistoric times. 



HISTORY OF WRITING. 



The study of iuscriptions has demonstrated the relationship between 

 the various forms of the alphabet, and has enabled the student to follow 

 their transformation from their origin to modern times. An attempt 

 was made at the French Exposition by Monsieur Philip Berger to col- 

 lect the principal forms of writing in antiquity, and to give a resume of 

 their progress and relationship. 



CLASSIFICATION. 



I. — Pictographic. 



On dolmens and stone monuments of 



western Europe. 

 Scandinavia. 

 North American Indian. 



Eskimo. 

 Oceanica. 



Messages : 



Sticks, feathers, knots, etc. 



II. — Hieroglyphic. 



Cuneiform : 



Sumero-Akkadian. 

 Babylonian. 

 Assyrian. 

 Persian. 

 Scythian. 



Egyptian. 



Hittites. 



Chinese. 



Mayas. 



Mexican. 



Easter Island. 



III. — Alphabetic. 



Semitic: 



Phoenician. 



Punic. 



Neopunic. 



Ancient Hebrew. 

 Aramean : 



Nabateau. 



Palmyreau. 



Hebrew Carre. 



Syrian. 

 Arabic. 



Himyarite. 



Ethiopian. 



European : 



Etruscan. 



Greek Archaic. 



Latin Archaic. 



Scandinavian. 



Runic stones, first and second 

 period. 



Ogham stones, Ireland. 



Gaul. 



Saxon 



British. 

 Hindoo : 



Sanscrit. 



Bactrian. 



