> the concept of written language came from the Middle East but was re-implemented independently from whatever proto writing existed at the time This seems the

> the concept of written language came from the Middle East but was re-implemented independently from whatever proto writing existed at the time This seems the most likely because it only takes one person in ancient times moving from one society to another to impart such knowledge. Anyone supporting that idea doesn't have to offer any evidence -- it's up to the person disagreeing to disprove it because their position is far less likely. Given that both Chinese and hieroglyphs both have radicals (in Chinese, as part of a character, and in hieroglyphs, trailing the character), the concept of radicals may also have spread the same way.