Humans began to write over 5,000 years ago. On this tour, see artifacts with writing in many languages and writing systems: cuneiform, hieroglyphs, hieratic, Demotic, Greek, and Latin. Learn who could write and how, the kinds of information that was recorded, and the materials they were recorded on. Highlights of the tour include a Babylonian school tablet, an Egyptian coffin covered in hieroglyphs, and a Roman military diploma.

Saturday Sampler tours are free and open to all visitors. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation to attend this tour, please contact the education office (734-647-4167) at least two weeks in advance. We ask for advance notice as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.