How did the alphabet evolve over time?

[DennisN]

One of my friends sent a link to this illustration which I found very, very fascinating:

(Image by Matt Baker, UsefulChart.com, image source: link)

If I decipher the chart correctly, e.g. the letter "O" developed from an image of an eye.
According to the wiki page about "O" an eye indeed seems to be the origin:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O#History

More info on wiki here: History of the alphabet

 

[Bandersnatch]

What can we deduce about the ancient Proto-Sinaitic culture. Lessee...

Willem Dafoe doing a pose from Platoon.
A telly.
A recliner.
A syringe.
Willem Dafoe drawn by a Nazcan.
A lollipop.
A backscratcher.
A railway track.
The sign of a vector directed towards the surface.
A broken TV aerial on a roof.
Two hot dogs in a pot.
Captain Hook's right hand.
An electrocardiogram.
A bicycle handlebar.
A fixed TV aerial.
A particularly flat teapot.
A cul-de-sac.
A wine opener.
An engagement ring.
A man in a beanie hat.
A single hot dog in a pot.
A four-way intersection.

We conclude the culture was remarkably similar to ours.

 

[pinball1970]

What can we deduce about the ancient Proto-Sinaitic culture. Lessee...

Willem Dafoe doing a pose from Platoon.
A telly.
A recliner.
A syringe.
Willem Dafoe drawn by a Nazcan.
A lollipop.
A backscratcher.
A railway track.
The sign of a vector directed towards the surface.
A broken TV aerial on a roof.
Two hot dogs in a pot.
Captain Hook's right hand.
An electrocardiogram.
A bicycle handlebar.
A fixed TV aerial.
A particularly flat teapot.
A cul-de-sac.
A wine opener.
An engagement ring.
A man in a beanie hat.
A single hot dog in a pot.
A four-way intersection.

We conclude the culture was remarkably similar to ours.

That's actually genius.

 

[gmax137]

Comparing the Archaic Latin and Roman sets, many of them have been reversed left to right in the Roman version. I have seen this before, and I still wonder about it. What caused that change? Did the Archaics write from right to left? Maybe we can date the invention of the mirror?

 

[Algr]

NOVA had a really good two part series about this.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/series/a-to-z/