> but it seems silly to me to say oral traditions aren't durable and that writing is the only way to get at history I mean, it is true. There are no oral tradi

> but it seems silly to me to say oral traditions aren't durable and that writing is the only way to get at history I mean, it is true. There are no oral traditions left of the Sumerians or the Assyrians that I know of. Meanwhile, you can find buildings and clay tablets and translate them.