Where would we be without the world’s alphabets? Writing has played a vital role in the expansion and domination of cultures throughout history. But researchers are only now uncovering the origin story to our own alphabet from thousands of years ago. From the shape of the letter A to the role of writing in trade and storytelling, discover how the written word shaped civilization itself.

Originally released by PBS, 2020. Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on October 07, 2020.