This book focuses on the archaeology of ancient Egyptian communication technologies, exploring the definitions and the material culture of ancient Egyptian writing practice. In contrast with older approaches that define writing as a system of social separation, writing is explored as a practice-based form of sharing visual information. This research identifies forms of writing that include non-linguistic systems and scripts, in addition to scripts that verbalize linguistic content.

The author maintains that a communication system based on written marks sets the roots for social interaction rather than exclusion.