Name ______________________________ Core _________ Date ________________________
A Really Old Notebook
hefty 26 pounds. The surface of the block is smooth and
slightly concave, as if someone had written on it and erased it
several times. Scientists say that the tablet was probably not a
public document. They point out that the symbols on it are
small and faint, suggesting that it was used in private.
Villagers in the Mexican state of Veracruz
unearthed the slab sometime before 1999, while quarrying an
ancient mound for material to build a road. Word of the
discovery spread to the anthropology community, and
scientists traveled to the site to examine the tablet.
Based on the location of the slab and the objects
surrounding it, scientists concluded that it dates back about
2,900 years, to the Olmec Civilization. The villagers who
VERACRUZ, Mexico An ancient slab of stone is
inscribed with pictures of ears of corn, fish, insects, and other
things. Scientists aren't sure what the symbols mean, but they
are sure of one thing—they are a form of writing. In fact,
scientists say that the symbols, which date back thousands of
years, are the oldest writing ever found in the Western
Hemisphere.
"We are dealing with the first, clear evidence of
writing in the New World," said Stephen Houston, an
anthropologist at Brown University in Rhode Island.
Scientists say that several clues indicate that the
symbols are in fact a form of writing. The block, which was
found in Mexico, contains 28 distinct glyphs that run
horizontally. Some of the symbols are repeated three and four
times, like words in a passage.
"That's full-blown, legitimate text—written
symbols taking the place of spoken words," said William
Saturno, a University of New Hampshire anthropologist and
expert in Mesoamerican writing.
The symbols cover the face of the block, which is
the size of a standard legal pad but weighs a
discovered the stone live near a site called San Lorenzo,
which was probably the center of the Olmec world. The
Olmecs thrived between about 1200 B.C. and 400 B.C. They
are best known for the massive heads that they carved from
stone, possibly in honor of their leaders. Now, though, the
Olmecs have another distinction—they were the earliest
known "writers" in the New World.
This is a breakthrough for Olmec scholars. Prior to
this discovery, they speculated that the Olmecs may have had
a written language. In 2002, they even found symbols that
some experts credited to the Olmecs. Now that scientists have
found a confirmed example of Olmec symbols, they can be
certain that the civilization communicated in writing as well
as speech. It also means that they have found a previously
unknown writing system—a rare discovery.
"This is centuries before anything we've [found
before]," said David Stuart, an expert in Mesoamerican
writing. Stuart was not part of the original study, but he
reviewed it. "People have debated whether the Olmecs had
any writing. This clears it up. This nails it for me."
Dictionary
anthropologist (noun) a person who studies human culture or human development
concave (adjective) curved inward like the inner surface of a bowl or sphere
glyph (noun) a symbol or character, especially one that has been carved out in a stone surface
legitimate (adjective) reasonable enough to believe
mound (noun) a pile of earth, stones, or other material built up for some purpose
Multiple Choice: Circle the letter of the choice the best completes the statement. (2 points each)
1. The best alternate headline for this article would be
__________.
A. Scientists Discover Huge Heads Carved from
Stone
2. Based on information in the article, how can the reader
tell that the block might have been used for fairly
unimportant writing?
A. The block was erased several times.
B. Scientists Translate Ancient Language
B. The block did not have any symbols.
C. Scientists Still Seeking Clues to Tablet's Origin
C. The block was broken in many places.
D. Scientists Find New World's Earliest Writing
D. The block did not weigh much.
3. Think about the tablet described in the fifth paragraph.
6. Which is the closest synonym for the word concave?
Based on information in other parts of the article, the
A. Scratched
reader can tell that _____________.
B. Ancient
A. The symbols found in 2002 must have helped
scientists to translate this tablet.
B. The symbols found in 2002 must be different from
the symbols found on this tablet.
C. The symbols found in 2002 must have helped
scientists to locate this tablet.
D. The symbols found in 2002 must be clearer than
the symbols found on this tablet.
4. Which of these is included in the article as a reason to
believe that the Olmecs were responsible for the tablet?
A. The color of the tablet
B. The location of the tablet
C. The size of the tablet
D. The age of the tablet
5. Suppose scientists wanted to determine whether the
Olmecs lived in a particular region. Based on the
information in the article, what might they look for?
C. Curved in
D. Faded away
7. Which is the closest antonym for the word legitimate?
A. Unique
B. Informal
C. Unbelievable
D. Notable
8. Which of these statements is contrary to the ideas
presented in the article?
A. Scientists found the stone slab while looking for
other ancient objects in Rhode Island.
B. Scientists are not certain about the origin of
symbols that they found four years ago.
C. Scientists now believe that the Olmecs were the
earliest writers in the Western Hemisphere.
D. Scientists believe that the symbols are a language
because they are repeated, like words in a passage
A. The 2002 symbols
B. A wide stone road
C. A giant head sculpture
D. Pieces of glassware
Opinion Question:
Now that you have read the article, indicate in the space below whether you agree or
disagree with this statement. What should scientists do next to learn more about the Olmec Civilization? (5 points)
Thought Question: In the space below write a summary of today's article. (5 points)