5 ms·
Likely not too surprising, given that most people were illiterate. Probably they also helped with letter writing/reading?
by drcode 5y ago
Likely not too surprising, given that most people were illiterate. Probably they also helped with letter writing/reading?
- bluGill 5y agoI've seen arguments that most people were literate. Learning to read and write is not hard, and it is a useful skill. Of course literate was relative: before the printing press there wasn't much to read (book took months to copy by hand). You were reading and writing short notes. Spelling wasn't standardized so you phonetically spelled things and had to figure out what the other person meant. Good enough for letters, but nobody was writing books on anything since teaching in person was (or seemed to be) more efficient. I'm not a historian, but the above seems like a good argument. Does anyone have a real reference as to the truth?
- LegitShady 5y agoIt kind of seems like your job as someone making the claim to come up with a reference?
- bluGill 5y agoI don't know how to do that.
- catlikesshrimp 5y agoLearning to write is difficult. You need paper and pen, and free time, and some reference, and probably a teacher
- bluGill 5y agoPaper is easy to make from bark. Charcoal pencils are easy to find (or make) in rhe common fire. Parents can teach their children.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- unionpivo 5y agoPaper was expensive before modern industry. Don't have reference at hand, but I remember it because I read it from few different sources.
- bluGill 5y agoGood paper was expensive. Bark paper is easy to make and works okay. You can also write on slates and other such things.