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While those ancient texts that have prevailed demonstrate the longevity of
the medium on which they are recorded, they also reveal the role and function of writing
in the cultures they represent. The hard surfaces of stone, wood, or
metal were not easily inscribed, and this difficulty restricted both the choice and the
amount of text recorded in this fashion. Clay and papyrus, though more easily harvested
and manufactured, possessed equally limiting characteristics that made them vulnerable to
destruction. Those ancient cultures that utilized these materials to preserve their
written record, chose their words carefully. Much of what today would be written down as
text, survived in the ancient world through the oral tradition. |