Texes Social Studies Content Practice Exam

Why was the Indus River Valley civilization considered proficient at proto-writing but not true literacy?

1. Had no standardized spelling

2. Used logograms rather than phonographic letters

3. Wrote only on "Oracle Bones" the bones of animals and tortoise shells

4. Could not represent abstract concepts beyond ownership

The correct answer is: Could not represent abstract concepts beyond ownership

The assertion that the Indus River Valley civilization was proficient at proto-writing but did not achieve true literacy is reflected in the understanding of their limited ability to express complex ideas beyond basic concepts such as ownership. True literacy typically involves the ability to convey a wide range of abstract thoughts, narratives, and cultural expressions through written symbols. In the case of the Indus Valley civilization, the symbols they created were likely used for administrative and practical purposes, such as trade and inventory, rather than for broader storytelling or the articulation of philosophical ideas. This limitation in the complexity of the concepts that could be represented by their writing indicates that while they possessed a system of symbols (proto-writing), it did not meet the criteria for true literacy, which requires a more advanced system capable of expressing diverse and abstract human experiences.