Communication

Language, symbols, and alphabets are all written communication. The oldest records of written language are 5 000 years old, but symbols of animals such as mammoths and bears have been found painted on cave walls that are over 30 000 years old. 

Distance Communication 

Transportable, recorded forms of communication were needed to send messages over greater distances. Words and symbols were written on papyrus and animal skins with quill pens made from feathers. 

Other early methods of communication included drumbeats, fire, smoke signals, and lantern beacons, all of which could be heard or seen over a distance. Later, messages were attached to the legs of carrier pigeons (this method was even used during World War I). Semaphore systems of flags or flashing lights were often used between fairly short distances that were hard to cross, such as between ships at sea. In France, a system of over 200 semaphore towers was set up so that messages could be relayed from one end of the county to the other in minutes. 

The telegraph, telephone, television, and radio all completely changed the way we communicate. 

Now, thanks to the Internet, messages can be sent to hundreds of people all over the world instantly with a click of a button. 
 

Paper and Printing 
 
The first really lightweight medium was papyrus. Before that, everything was written on wood and stone. The Chinese wrote on silk, and later paper made from silk. Europeans wrote on parchment, or vellum, which was think animal skin which had been scraped and tanned, until the 11th century C.E. when the Arabs brought paper and papermaking from China. Block printing developed in China in the 8th century, and it was used to illustrate books in 15th century Europe. China also developed the first moveable type in 1045, but metal moveable type was perfected by Johann Gutenberg in 1450. He introduced the first reliable system of setting type, the Gutenberg Press. Raised, reversed metal letters were pushed (by hand) into a wooden frame that held them together. The letters were inked, and a screw-driven press was used to transfer the letters to a piece of paper. The letters, after enough copies had been printed, could be taken apart and re- used. The Gutenberg Press allowed more books than ever to be printed. Consequently, more people became literate. They learned new ideas and gained more knowledge. The 16th century Protestant Revolution (a revolution dividing the Christian Church into several factions) may not have happened without books. The Gutenberg Press also enabled the printing of newspapers and pamphlets. 

The industrial revolution caused printing technologies to evolve quickly. The steam-powered press (invented in Germany in the 1800s) was introduced to North America in 1846. In 1884, Ottmar Mergenth's Linotype (which set text by typing on a keyboard rather than setting each letter by hand) was patented. These machines were widely used until the 1950s when photo typesetting and photo-offset printing were invented. 

Photocopying made duplicating documents simple. And today, thanks to computers and word- processing, almost anyone can make newsletters or even magazines for medium-sized audiences. These tools have also completely transformed business communication. People predicted the "paperless office" — that computers would make paper obsolete. Ironically, the new technologies have created more demand for paper than ever. 

Postal Systems 

Originally, messengers, or "couriers" (from the French verb courir "to run") carried messages from one person to another. Governments adopted this system and used it to send and receive important information, especially in wartime. This system could be used by citizens, who were charged a fee, or tax (proven by postage stamps). 

Mail was originally sent by horseback, then train and boat, and finally by air. 

Modern Communications Technology 
 

Machines can scan printed text and speak the words. Some personal computers can also read typed text, show large text on a screen for the visually impaired, and use touch-sensitive screens for people unable to type. They can also turn lights on and off, work security systems, or make emergency calls. This can be especially helpful for people in wheelchairs. Most television networks also have closed-captioning (typed words that run along the bottom of the screen when there is dialogue) for the hearing-impaired.

 

Cave Paintings 
Many prehistoric paintings such as this hyena have been found on cave walls in France. 

 

Semaphore 
Semaphore is a flag alphabet extensively used in the past, especially for communications at sea. 
 

Typewriter 
Gone are the days of inky ribbons and correction fluid -- now almost anyone can produce good quality newsletters and reports in his or her own home.  

Alexander Graham Bell 
A portrait of Alexander Graham Bell and his family. Both his mother and his wife Mabel were  deaf, and he spent a good deal of his life educating and helping deaf people. He was the man who advised Helen Keller's parents to find her a teacher.